The Wizards Duel
by Owl Watcher
Summary: A strange wizard comes to Camelot and challenges the most powerful man in Albion. Much is at risk, but the challenge cannot be declined.
1. Prologue

The Wizards Duel

_Prologue_

The boy examined the picture on the page of his book and carefully stitched the image onto the glove. The details were very precise, and if he did not get them right, the glove would be useless. He worked all night, stitching in letters and pictures, not stopping even when his candle went out. By then, the sun had begun to rise, and there was enough light to work by.

At last, he finished. He studied the glove, his eyes flitting from one image to another. It was perfect. There would be no stopping him now.

"Are you ready to die, Uther?" he murmured. "Are you ready to watch your kingdom fall into the hands of your enemies?"

He chuckled to himself, then placed the glove into his pack. He glanced out the window of his small hut. He should leave now. It was a long journey to Camelot.


	2. The Tournament

The Wizards Duel

_Chapter 1: The Tournament_

Merlin and Gaius squeezed their way through the crowded streets of Camelot, Merlin struggling to keep a hold of the bags of merchandise they had just purchased. It was one of the first sunny days of the summer, with a nice cool breeze winding its way through the city. Flowers being sold by vendors shed a pleasant aroma that perfumed the air, and a few bees hummed about the market minding their own business. As they passed Gwen's little house, Merlin saw Gwen shaking out a rug outside her door.

"Gwen!" Merlin called.

Gwen spotted him and waved. Merlin tried to wave back and ended up dropping a couple bags in the process. Gwen dropped her rug and hurried over to help him.

"Here," she said, picking up a bag and handing it back. "Sorry about that."

"Oh, it's not your fault," Merlin said, shaking off her apology. "I'm the one that tried to wave while holding all of this junnnn I mean wonderful. Medicines. Stuff," he mumbled as Gaius turned to him with one eyebrow raised.

Gwen smiled. "Well, I should be going. I have a lot to do before the tournament on Friday."

Merlin snorted. "Right. What's the purpose of those things again? To see who can get beat up the least? Get more glory by whapping each other about the head like a bunch of morons?"

Gwen scowled. "Merlin, you shouldn't make fun of the knights like that. They work hard to protect the kingdom and they deserve to have a bit of fun every once in a while. Besides, Uther wanted to celebrate the beginning of summer with something that _most _people enjoy."

"Yeah, whatever," Merlin shrugged.

"No, Merlin, Gwen's right," Gaius said. "You should be more respectful to the kingdom's protectors."

Merlin held up his hands. "Okay. I will. I just don't see the point of tournaments is all."

"Yes, yes, yes," Gaius said. "Now let's go. I have a lot to deliver, and I know that Arthur wants to practice his sword fighting and such this afternoon, Merlin."

Merlin gave him a pleading look. "Please, can I just stall a little longer?"

Gaius made his signature One Eyebrow Raised look, and Merlin sighed. His shoulders sagged and he said a degenerate good bye to Gwen before shuffling after Gaius.

A half hour later, Merlin was watching Arthur spar with Percival out on the training grounds. He was beginning to somewhat appreciate the upcoming tournament. Normally Arthur's 'practice' was beating the stuffings out of Merlin, but now that he was practicing for the tournament, he now chose to practice on people who could actually keep his grip on the sword when it was struck by his opponent's weapon. And that was not Merlin. And so Merlin stood back, relaxed, and chatted with Gwaine as the other knight waited his turn to try and beat the prince.

"I am _so_ gonna win this tournament!" Gwaine said, elbowing the air behind him. "I'm going to win, and then I'll make the other knights buy me drinks because they will at last respect me."

"How can you earn so much respect by beating people up?" Merlin asked. "It seems a little silly to me."

"Yeah, well, that's because you don't know anything, Merlin," Gwaine said simply. "When I win the tournament, the other knights will see that I'm a better fighter and jouster and such and I can beat them up if they don't buy me a drink."

"But you can't," Merlin stated.

"Why not?"

"Because then they won't respect you."

Gwaine was about to hit him about the head when Arthur called to him. He had beaten Percival in the sword fight, and he now wanted to take on Gwaine.

"Ah, taking on the big leagues, are you, chap?" Gwaine proclaimed merrily. He patted Percival on the back. "No offense, big boy."

Percival nodded. "None taken, Gwaine. But know that if you do win the tournament, I won't buy you a drink."

Gwaine gaped at him in horror. "What? But my honorable lad, you would be such a bad sport about losing to me?"

"Not at all, Gwaine," Percival reassured him. "I won't be competing in the tournament, so my honor will not be tainted."

"Not competing?" Arthur echoed. "But Percival, you're one of the best knights in Camelot."

Percival shrugged, trying not to look too upset. "Gaius won't let me."

A couple week ago, some bandits had attacked Percival while he was riding outside the city. His arm had been badly wounded, and the court physician had just let him start sword fighting again a few days ago.

"I'll talk to Gaius," Merlin told him. "But only if you want me to. I can convince him that your arm is well enough to compete."

Percival smiled. "That would be great, Merlin. Thank you. My arm really is feeling a lot better. I was just going easy on it during my fight with Arthur. I guess I'm still a little cautious with it."

"Well, you can't keep being cautious, old boy!" Gwaine exclaimed. "You've got two days before that tournament begins. C'mon, try to fight both me and Arthur. C'mon, now, we've got to get you back into fighting shape worthy of a knight of Camelot!"

-/~\-

The day of the tournament was a fine one. There were a few fluffy white clouds that speckled the sky, occasionally drifting in front of the sun, and the tournament field was nice and dry. The stands were crammed full of eager citizens awaiting the beginning of the entertainment, while the knights prepared for the tournament in their tents. Everyone, even the knights, were all relaxed and ready. Everyone with an exception of Merlin, of course.

Merlin now remembered why he hated tournaments: All the extra work. This year, it was much worse than usual because he had to help the new knights (Gwaine, Percival, and Lancelot) prepare. None of them had servants yet, and Merlin felt obligated to assist his friends in getting their armor on and checking their weapons and caring for their horses. The squires of the other knights, the knights of noble birth, seemed to greatly enjoy watching Merlin struggle to keep up with all of his duties, and their snobby comments that they shouted at him from a distance were slowly but surly working away at his patience.

"Hey, _Mar_lin!" Sir Richard's squire, Edmund, sneered. "Why don't you help me out with getting Sir Richard ready? Show you what it's like to serve a _real_ knight!"

Merlin took a deep breath. "Ignore them. Just ignore them."

"What was that, Marlin?" Edmund shouted. "I didn't quite hear you."

Merlin kept quiet, which just made Edmund and his friends even more bold.

"Sir Allen says that your pal Gwaine is a hopeless drunk!" Sir Allen's squire, John, yelled at Merlin. "He says that he's never seen Gwaine sober, _once_, and that he'll probably blow the tournament because he's still hungover from his rounds at the tavern three days ago!"

"And didn't I hear that you had to beg Gaius to let that sissy Percival fight in the tournament?" Sir Geoffrey's squire, Mark, added. "I heard that the great lump got hurt by a couple of bandits."

"He shouldn't even be fighting in the tournament today," Edmund said. "He's not a real knight, none of them are! They're nothing but weak commoners who managed to kiss their way up to knighthood."

At this Merlin snapped. He swung around and grabbed a hold of Edmund, slamming him against one of the tent poles.

"Where was Sir Richard when Morgana was terrorizing Camelot?" he roared in his face. "Was he standing up for what was right, or was he cowering under Morgana's reign? Gwaine and Percival helped save Camelot, remember? They stood against Morgana and Morgause, even though they knew that they would probably not come out of it alive. So if I _ever _hear any of you speaking like that about my friends again, I will turn you in to the prince and let him deal with you. You'll find that he doesn't like it when people make fun of his friends."

Merlin released Edmund and the squire stumbled away, a look of terror on his face.

"I won't forget this," Edmund threatened shakily. "You'll regret that. You'll pay."

"Yes, I'm sure I will," Merlin said wryly.

He turned away and headed for Gwaine's tent. Gwaine, who was struggling to get his gauntlet tied, glanced up as Merlin entered.

"You know," he said, "you shouldn't get into fights with the squires like that on our behalf. It'll just get you in trouble."

Merlin blushed. "Oh. You could...hear that?"

Gwaine snorted. "Of course! Everyone did. And I'll warn you, Arthur may have been laughing, but Sir Richard did not look very happy. You should be more careful, Merlin. You forget that you are just a servant in these men's eyes, and it would not harm their consciences if they got Uther to execute you. And then Arthur would be mad at you for getting yourself sentenced to death again, and then, because Arthur would bug him until he renounced your death sentence, you'd be even less popular with Uther than you are already. So watch it."

Merlin nodded solemnly. "I know. But you should have heard what they were saying about you and Percival!"

"I did, Merlin," Gwaine said quietly.

Merlin looked at his feet in embarrassment. "Oh."

Gwaine sighed. "Who are we kidding? The people love Lance, but Percival and me...We'll never be respected as knights. We're commoners who are playing dress-up in a knight's armor." He shook his head. "To Camelot, I'll always be the sorry drunk who can't go past a tavern without staying sober."

"That isn't true," Merlin said firmly. "You are going to win this tournament, Gwaine. You and Percival will make it to the last round, and then it won't matter which of you wins, you'll both have Camelot's respect."

"Oh yes?" Gwaine said. "And just how do we get past Arthur and Lancelot? The other knights will be easy, but those two are a bit harder to get by."

"Then give this tournament all you've got," Merlin encouraged him. "You can beat them. You've just got to stay confident."

Gwaine nodded slowly. "Okay. Yeah. We can do this. And now that we've got that settled, will you be a chap and help me with this gauntlet? Never mind, don't be a chap. He cleared his throat and said in a haughty voice, "Boy, get over here and tie this gauntlet for me!"

Merlin grinned. "It would be a pleasure, Sir Knight."

-/~\-

Gwaine and Percival were doing magnificently. Gwaine won the jousting, and Percival won the one battle that Merlin called 'Every Knight for Himself', where all of the knights competed against each other in one big brawl. Percival had just barely taken down Arthur and Lancelot, who both went after him near the end of the fight. Merlin was happy to see the squires talking angrily amongst themselves as they watched the 'fake' knights' success. They wouldn't be gossiping about them for a long time, he guessed.

Now it was time for a duel between Gwaine and Percival to see who would win the tournament. Most of the people were betting on Percival. He had won the brawl after all, and so he would have no trouble with Gwaine. But Merlin had seen that Gwaine had been ganged up on by the older knights during the big sword fight and was quickly taken out. If that hadn't happened Merlin wondered if Gwaine might have won.

Uther signaled for the duel to begin, and Percival immediately ran at Gwaine. Gwaine nimbly dodged and took a swing at Percival, who blocked it speedily. Percival made another attack, which Gwaine blocked and countered.

"C'mon, Percy, you can do better than that!" Gwaine taunted cheerily.

Percival grinned and made several swift attacks, several of which Gwaine blocked. The others were near misses, and Gwaine backed off unsteadily. Then he chuckled and attacked.

It went on like this for a while. Attack, parry, attack, parry, until finally Uther called a break. Merlin got them some water, and Gaius checked any wounds. Percival had a small cut on his leg, and Gwaine had a couple bruises forming on his arm. Other than that, both knights were unscathed.

"We'll show 'em," Gwaine panted.

"Yeah," Percival agreed, just as out of breath as Gwaine. "They'll think twice before making fun of us again."

"Are you even trying?" Merlin asked them.

They nodded. "Of course," Percival said. "We're just rather equal."

Gwaine laughed. "Nay, my friend! I'd say that I'm just a little bit okay we're equal!" he yelped as Percival turned on him.

The gong rang outside the tent, signaling the end of the break. Percival and Gwaine continued the fight, this one just as uneventful as the last. Another break was called, and Merlin saw that the two knights were beginning to look frustrated. The next fight they got vicious, throwing all they had at one another. But that still wasn't enough, and neither of them was able to take down the other. At the next break, Uther called them forward.

"It has become clear to me that you are balancing each other out," Uther said. "Sir Percival, you are very strong. Sir Gwaine, you are very wise in your movements. There is no way that strength can beat wisdom, and wisdom can not beat strength."

"But I heard that brains triumph over brawn," Gwaine piped up, grinning widely.

"Not when your brain isn't functioning properly," Percival growled, and Gwaine went quiet.

Uther held back a smiled and continued. "Therefore, I declare that this tournament is a draw! You are both awarded the title of Camelot's Champion. Congratulations, Sir Percival, Sir Gwaine."

The two knights bowed, their faces glowing with happiness. The crowd cheered, and Merlin noticed that even the squires were clapping halfheartedly. Merlin smiled. This was by far the best tournament he had ever been to. He even began to think that he liked watching them.

Just then the clattering noise of hoof beats sounded, and a chocolate colored horse galloped into the arena. Its rider wore a deep green cloak with a silver fastening in the shape of a sparrow, and the hood was up to hide his face. The stranger dismounted and looked about before stepping towards the stands, then he reached into his cloak and drew out a small leather glove. He pulled down his hood and threw the glove in the dirt before him.


	3. The Challenge

_Sorry if it takes me a little while to update. Spring break is sadly over, and now I no longer have as much spare time. Blame it on my literature study for To Kill A Mockingbird. The study is awful, but the book is great. You should read it sometime. It's by Harper Lee. Also, I've changed the prologue. I accidentally uploaded an alternate thing that I didn't finish. Sorry! :(_

The Wizards Duel

_Chapter 2: The Challenge_

The challenger could not be more than seventeen years old, with dark brown, almost black, hair and emerald green eyes. He was a little shorter than Merlin but still taller than Arthur, and his narrow face was spotted with dark freckles. He had a lean build, and he held himself in the manner of a peasant. His posture was sloppy, and he looked a tad awkward in the way he stood.

"Who are you?" Uther demanded. "What business do you have, disturbing our tournament?"

The boy gazed defiantly at the King. "I am Yvire, and I have come to challenge the most powerful man in your kingdom."

Uther considered him with a hint of suspicion. "What is the purpose of your challenge?"

"Winner takes all," Yvire said. "If I win, you will step down from the throne and face your crimes. If I lose, your spot on the throne will go untouched."

A gasp ran through the crowd, and several guards advanced upon the boy. They did not attack, but they closed around him, prepared to strike at any moment. Uther sat stock still, his eyes glowing with fury.

"How dare you make such a challenge?" he demanded, his voice a mere whisper. "How dare you threaten me like this?"

"Quite easily," Yvire said.

"I'm afraid we will have to turn down your challenge," Arthur said, his hand on his sword hilt, "and you will accompany me to the dungeons."

Yvire smiled. "One of you has to accept the challenge. That is the one rule of this duel. Fashion the glove properly, and whoever you challenge must accept. I have challenged the most powerful man in Albion, who happens to be standing nearby. If he does not accept, then he forfeits. And I win."

Uther paled. "You are a sorcerer?"

"How did you guess? Oh, but never mind. I'm sure you can smell magic's foul stench from a mile away," Yvire said airily.

"What do you mean by the most powerful man in Albion?" Arthur asked before his father could react. "Do you mean the most powerful in politics, mind, or body?"

Yvire laughed. "None of those."

"Then what can you mean?" Arthur demanded.

"The man of whom I speak knows what I mean."

Merlin felt as though a stone had been dropped into his stomach, and he thought for a moment that he was going to be sick. Yvire was speaking of magic. Magic was not politics, intelligence, or muscle, so what else could he be talking about? And of course he was speaking of Merlin, the most powerful wizard to walk the earth.

At that moment Arthur stepped forward and moved to pick up the glove. But something was stopping him. Some powerful force was pushing his hand away, making him unable to take hold of the glove. Yvire smiled.

"Try all you want, Prince Arthur," he told him. "But you are not the most powerful man, so you cannot accept my challenge."

Arthur glared at him but gave up. He looked very angry, either at himself or Yvire (or both) Merlin could not tell. No one else attempted to grab the glove, discouraged by the prince's failure. Then Arthur gestured at Percival.

"Sir Percival, you're stronger than I am," he said. "Would you like to try?"

Percival hesitated. He didn't want to have so much pressure on his shoulders. But it was his duty to protect Camelot, and so he attempted to pick up the glove. He, too, could not.

"Come now," Yvire said, smiling wide. "I know you're out there. Or are you just too afraid? Afraid of what everyone will say."

Merlin swallowed hard. He was afraid of what everyone would say. But he couldn't let that get in the way of the people he cared about.

He stepped out into the arena, and Yvire turned to face him. They stared at each other as Merlin approached, neither taking their eyes off of the other.

"Merlin, what are you doing?" Arthur hissed. "Get back to the tent."

Merlin ignored him and continued to walk towards the glove.

"That was an order, Merlin!"

Merlin bent down and reached for the glove. He began to have second thoughts. What if it wasn't him? Then he would look like a total fool and Arthur would never let him live it down. But his hand pushed through whatever magical barrier had been keeping back Arthur and Percival, and he picked up the glove.

The strange images on the glove began to glow, and Merlin felt a burning sensation on his hand, causing him to nearly drop the glove. The glow died away, and Merlin looked at his hand. The images had branded his hand in gold, leaving a mark of a tiny dragon breathing fire, the fire forming a circle around the dragon.

"Is this some kind of joke?" Arthur demanded, and Merlin glared at him.

Yvire shook his head. "No. He is the most powerful man."

He smiled coldly at Merlin. "We will meet here in three days time. I suggest you practice during your free time." He stepped closer and whispered so that Merlin alone could hear. "I also suggest asking the old man about the rules of a Wizard Duel. He should know."

He stepped back and mounted his horse. "Until then, Merlin. Or should I say Emrys?"

He laughed and galloped off, leaving a stunned silence over the arena.

Arthur turned to Merlin. "Care to explain what just happened?"

Merlin shook his head. He felt completely sick. "Not particularly."

Arthur glared at him. "Come back to the castle. Now."

-/~\-

Merlin stood at the door of Arthur's room as the prince paced about the room. He would stop every once in a while and open his mouth to speak, but then he would change his mind and continue pacing.

"I don't understand," he said eventually. "How could _you_ be the most powerful man in the kingdom? You're...you!"

Merlin rolled his eyes. "Is it really so impossible?"

"Of course it is!" Arthur snapped. "You're going to get destroyed in that battle. I mean, Yvire is a sorcerer! He'll incinerate you! You'll be dead in five seconds."

"Gee, thanks for the optimism," Merlin said blandly.

"Well, it's true," Arthur said.

Merlin rolled his eyes again. _If you only knew..._

"I'm going to go find Gwaine," he said. "Maybe he'll be a bit more encouraging."

"Now hang on a moment, you can't-" Arthur began, but his words were cut off as Merlin shut the door behind him.

Merlin found Gwaine right where he knew he would be: the tavern. He was sitting with the other knights, who were buying him and Percival drinks. Gwaine waved at Merlin when he saw him, and Merlin gestured for him to come over. Gwaine excused himself and walked over to Merlin.

"Hey there, chap!" Gwaine greeted him. "How's the stress building up?"

"Hello, Gwaine," Merlin said. "Congratulations on the tournament. You and Percival were great."

Gwaine grinned. "Yeah. I was, wasn't I?"

"I said you _and_ Percival," Merlin reminded him.

"Right. But anyways, I wanted to talk to you," Gwaine said. "As does Lance."

"Gwaine!" Sir Leon called from the table of knights. "What's keeping you?"

"Just a moment," Gwaine called back, then turned back to Merlin. "Sorry about that. Anyways-"

"No, you should go back," Merlin said.

Gwaine arched his eyebrows. "You sure?"

"Yeah, we can talk later. I don't want to keep you from your hour of glory."

Gwaine grinned and slapped him on the back. "Thanks, chap! Lance and I'll come and find you once we're back to the castle."

Merlin nodded. "Alright. See you then."

They said farewell and parted.

-/~\-

Merlin heard shouting from outside his room. He closed his spell book, which he had been reading through for defensive and attacking spells, and cautiously stood. His door suddenly burst open, and Lancelot and Gwaine, who were both looking very drunk, tumbled inside.

"Oi!" Merlin shouted. "What are you doing?"

"Hey Merlin!" Gwaine proclaimed, getting to his feet. "Lance and I came to talk to you, just like we promised we would."

"But it's almost midnight!" Merlin protested. "And did you just get back from the tavern?"

Gwaine scowled and staggered. "You're still up, aren't you? Anyways, we wanted to talk to you 'bout the challenge. How are you gonna beat a sorcerer?"

"Can we discuss this when you two are sober?" Merlin sighed.

Lancelot bit his lip, and he suddenly looked normal again. "We aren't drunk. Gwaine just said that it would make you talk if you thought we were."

Gwaine rolled his eyes. "Way to stick to the plan, Lancey."

"You really thought I would talk if I thought you were drunk?" Merlin said, a little put out.

Gwaine shrugged. "No one worries about a drunk man spilling his secrets, because he'll probably have forgotten them the next day."

"But back to business," Lancelot said. "Why would Yvire challenge you? Is it because of your, uh, special talent?"

"You mean his magic?" Gwaine said loudly.

Merlin jumped. "How did you know?"

Gwaine rolled his eyes. "What, you think I'm stupid? I'm not as drunk as I look lots of the time. All those times you thought those little spells would go unnoticed by the stone drunk Gwaine, you were wrong because it takes a _ton_ of ale to make this guy forget something like that. But don't worry, I won't tell anyone. You're only my best friend in the entire world."

Merlin nodded slowly. "Thanks. But why didn't you ever-"

"Just answer the question, Merlin," Gwaine interrupted.

Merlin huffed. "Fine. Yes, he challenged me because of my gifts. I guess that it's something called a Wizard Duel. I meant to ask Gaius about it, but I haven't had the chance yet."

"Then go ask him now!" Lancelot exclaimed. "I don't care if he's sleeping, you need to know about it."

"I'm right here," Gaius said from the doorway, and they all jumped.

"Oh, hi Gaius," Merlin grinned nervously. "Why aren't you in bed?"

Gaius raised his eyebrows. "You think that two knights pretending to be drunk can just barge into my chambers and start talking to you about your magic and I'm just going to go to bed? I'm sorry, but you are wrong."

Merlin laughed nervously. "Uh, yeah, I guess that is a bit unlikely."

"Just a little," Gwaine added.

"Not helping," Lancelot murmured.

"Sorry. But what _is _a Wizard Duel, Gaius?" Gwaine asked.

Gaius looked hesitant. "Well, I don't know that much about them. They aren't generally used much, seeing as how they are to the death. But wizards used them to solve disputes long ago so that they didn't have to go to war."

"Do you have a book or something that talks about them?" Lancelot suggested.

Gaius thought for a moment. "I might. It might be mentioned in one of...Wait here a moment and I'll fetch some."

He waddled from the room, and several minutes later he returned with several very thick books. He dropped them on Merlin's bed, then picked up the one on top and began rifling through it.

"Uther had me keep some books on sorcerer ways," Gaius explained. "He said that he wanted to be prepared if there came a time when he needed them. And there's really no spells in these. They just speak of ancient rituals and such. Ah, here it is. A Wizard Duel. This one says that once the challenge is issued and accepted, there is no backing down if the glove used to challenge the opponent leaves a mark on the hand of their opponent."

Merlin looked down at the dragon on his hand. "Well, that's nice. Looks like I'm stuck. Lucky me."

"It also tells the rule," Gaius said. "'No turning invisible'."

"That's it?" Merlin said.

"That's it," Gaius confirmed. "Anything else flies."

Merlin grinned. "Then I can summon the Great Dragon and just have him finish off Yvire for me."

"The Great Dragon?" Gwaine echoed.

"Did I mention that I'm also the last Dragonlord?" Merlin asked, and Gwaine grinned.

Gaius shook his head disapprovingly. "No, Merlin. I think that you should only use Kilgarrah as a last resort."

"Oh, come on!" Gwaine whined. "I want to see the Yvire-eating dragon."

"No, Gwaine," Lancelot said as though he were reprimanding a small child. "Master Gaius said that Merlin isn't allowed to summon the dragon."

Merlin grinned. "And you know how Master Gaius gets when you don't obey him."

Gaius began to raise an eyebrow. Merlin gasped, and Lancelot quickly intervened.

"Don't worry, Merlin," he assured the warlock. "You're going to be great. You'll defeat Yvire without any problem, I'm sure of it."

Merlin sighed and laid back on his bed. "But I have next to no training, whereas Yvire obviously has plenty. I can't beat him with my little tricks."

"Well, you have three days to prepare," Gwaine reminded him. "I'm sure you can learn enough in that much time to help you win."

Merlin smiled gratefully at his friends. "Thanks. I really appreciate your encouragement." He tried to hide a yawn, but Gaius noticed.

"Well, you're not going to defeat Yvire of you don't get any rest," he said. "Gwaine, Lancelot, it's time for you to be leaving. Merlin needs his sleep."

He shooed them from the room. Merlin called good night after them, then pulled back his blankets and blew out his candle.

**AN: Okay. It's really simple. Click the blue button (****not**** the red one) and write down your thoughts on the chapter. Please? I'll give you an invisible cookie of your choice if you do. **


	4. Day One

_I changed the prologue, just so you know. I accidentally uploaded the wrong file. The old one was an alternate that I'd never finished. Sorry! :(_

The Wizards Duel

_Chapter 3: Day One_

"Wake up, Merlin. You have to get up, now."

Gaius' words, muffled by a yawn, pulled Merlin away from sleep. He blinked his eyes open. Dim morning seeped through the window, and the sounds of the town below hummed familiarly.

"What time is it?" he mumbled, stuffing his face in his pillow.

Gaius shrugged. "Shortly after dawn, I believe. Anyways, Uther has summoned you to court and-"

"WHAT?"

Merlin jumped out of bed and scrambled around for some clothes. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"Relax, Merlin, you still have ten minutes," Gaius told him.

"Yeah, but I have to see to Arthur first. Oh, Arthur's gonna kill me!"

Merlin ran from the room, still pulling a shirt over his head. Gaius sighed and shook his head. Merlin was always in such a hurry.

-/~\-

Merlin bowed to Uther, who gestured for him to rise. Merlin straightened, and Uther began to speak.

"I assume that you know why you have been summoned this morning," he said. Merlin did not respond, and Uther swept on. "We must discuss the matter of the challenge that you accepted. I do not believe that you are fitting to take on so much responsibility, seeing as how you are a mere servant and have no fighting skills whatsoever."

Merlin bit back a smile, but he didn't have to for very long as Uther continued to speak.

"I believe that it is your duty to withdraw from the fight," he said. "From past records of battles you have participated in, you are obviously incapable of performing well in battle, and the fate of Camelot should not be something placed on the shoulders of a boy like you."

_A boy like me! _Merlin thought angrily. Sure, he wasn't the best fighter, but he had a feeling that Uther was talking about more than his fighting skills.

"Excuse me, sire, but I disagree," Sir Elyan, Gwen's brother, spoke up. "I think that Merlin's withdraw would be the same as declining the challenge, and Yvire and probably many others would see that as a victory on Yvire's side. I don't think that we can risk his withdraw."

Uther hummed thoughtfully. "You make a fair point, Sir Elyan. But he is not a good fighter, and we cannot send him into the duel with any hopes that he would win."

"Merlin's not that bad of a fighter," Gwaine protested. "He just needs a bit of training. I'm sure we could have him in top shape by the end of his three days of preparation. If Your Majesty is alright with it, I'll take it upon myself to train him."

Uther looked hesitant at the thought of Gwaine teaching someone how to fight. "I don't know, Sir Gwaine. You are a magnificent fighter, but I just don't see you being a great tutor."

"Then allow Sir Lancelot," Gwaine persisted. "He'd do a fine job, I'm sure."

"I'd be willing to do so, sire," Lancelot agreed.

Uther was quiet for a long time as he mulled this idea over. Merlin stood very still, nervous about the King's decision. What if he didn't let Lancelot train him? That seemed very unlikely, but Uther was big on doing unlikely things, especially when magic was involved. Sure enough, Uther soon brought magic up.

"But no amount of training would prepare him for fighting a sorcerer," the King said.

"Neither would it prepare any of us," Lancelot pointed out.

Uther sighed. "Very well. Train him hard, Sir Lancelot. Don't let him rest. Camelot's fate depends on it."

Lancelot nodded solemnly. "Of course, sire."

Uther turned back to Merlin. "I have another question to ask you before you are dismissed."

"Of course, sire," Merlin said. He already knew what the question was.

"Why were you able to pick up the glove?"

Merlin had practiced the answer in his head many times, so he knew exactly how to respond.

"I don't know, sir," he said. "But I remember hearing a voice in my head telling me to pick it up, and I couldn't stop myself from doing so."

Merlin expected Uther to react in several ways, but to be perfectly honest, he did not expect him to turn purple with rage.

"Of course!" Uther roared. "I see it now! He pretended to challenge the strongest man in Albion, and then he manipulated a weak servant boy into accepting the challenge! He must withdraw immediately, he has no right to continue on with the challenge. He used foul play."

"Wait, Father," Arthur said. "Yvire seemed perfectly genuine. Perhaps he saw something in Merlin that does make him more powerful than the rest of us."

Merlin blinked. What was Arthur saying?

"I've heard many people say that Merlin is the kindest person in the kingdom," Arthur continued. "Perhaps Yvire was saying that Merlin has the most powerful heart."

"Why are you defending this sorcerer?" Uther snarled.

"Because that's what he is," Arthur said. "A sorcerer. He might see Merlin as powerful in a way that we don't. We don't know how he thinks. And if we go and accuse him of foul play and he is innocent of that, then you never know what his reaction might be."

Arthur stopped and let his words set in. Uther's face returned to a natural color and he slumped in his throne, looking very defeated.

"Fine," he sighed wearily. "Do what you want. But it's still suspicious."

"Yes, it is," Arthur agreed. "And I promise that I will investigate it as much as I possibly can. I will search for Yvire and speak with him, and I will report my findings to you."

Uther nodded mechanically, and Merlin's stomach lurched. He worried about what Arthur might discover if he found Yvire. He decided that he should search for Yvire himself that night and ask him not to tell Arthur anything.

Uther dismissed the court, and Merlin left the Throne Room. He had almost reached the end of the hall that led to the Throne Room when he heard someone calling his name. He stopped and looked behind him to see Arthur running towards him.

"Merlin," he said. "Are you sure that that's how you knew to pick up the glove?"

Merlin hesitated. Lying to Uther's face was one thing. Lying to Arthur's was another.

"Yes, sire, I'm sure," Merlin said.

Arthur sighed and shook his head. "I don't understand. Yvire said that the man he spoke of would know what he was talking about. Are you sure you don't know why you were able to pick up the glove?"

Merlin nodded. "Y-yes, sire."

Arthur searched his face. "Merlin. If you know something, you need to tell me."

Merlin nodded. "I know. I mean, I know to tell you. I don't know anything."

Arthur grinned. "Well, I already knew that. But really, Merlin-"

Thankfully, Merlin was saved as Lancelot ran up to him.

"C'mon, Merlin," he said. "Time to go."

Merlin cocked his head in confusion. "Where are we going?"

"Training," Lancelot grinned.

-/~\-

Merlin sneaked through the forest, following the trail of hoof prints that Yvire's horse had left when leaving the arena. The tracks had faded a little and they began to merge with other prints, but they had a distinctive shape that allowed Merlin to follow them without trouble.

The day had gone by tortuously slow. Lancelot had trained him for three hours, and then Merlin had to juggle studying fighting spells and performing his duties as a servant. He was able to drag himself away from the idea of sleep because he desperately needed to find Yvire. He had several questions to ask him, not just concerning Arthur's quest to find the truth about how Merlin could pick up the glove.

To Merlin's dismay, the tracks he had been following ended suddenly. He groaned and put his hands over his face.

"I see they were right," a voice said.

Merlin whirled around, then glanced up. Yvire was perched on a tree branch above him.

"Who was right about what?" Merlin demanded. He could tell that Yvire wasn't going to attack him, so he relaxed the magic that flared up whenever he felt threatened.

Yvire jumped down from the tree. "My teachers. They told me you were highly untrained. I guess I didn't believe them until now."

"Why didn't you believe them?" Merlin asked.

Yvire laughed. "Why? You're Emrys. I expected you to be able to at least perform a tracking spell. The fight will be easier than I thought."

Merlin clenched his fists. "Is that why you challenged me? You thought that because I'm untrained I would be easy game?"

"Untrained wizards, no matter how powerful they are, are always easy to defeat. Besides, I don't like you."

"You don't even know me."

"You protect the King and his son. That's reason enough. We want his reign to end, and you stand in our way. So what better way to take you out and remove Uther from the throne than in one grand swing? And even if you do win, you'll be arrested and burned for practicing magic. Then you won't be in the way any more."

Merlin stared at him. "Who are you, really?"

"I am a student of the Sorcerer's Academy. It's an underground teaching program for sorcerers who want Uther off the throne. I've been training there since as long as I can remember. I just finished my training, and this is my final test."

Merlin was surprised. He hadn't really been expecting an answer. "Why are you telling me this?"

Yvire smirked. "Because I know you won't tell anyone. Your compassion is well-known throughout the magic word. You wouldn't give away so many of your kind to Uther. And even if you would, you shouldn't. You're unpopular enough as it is."

"That will change when Arthur and I bring magic back to the kingdom."

Yvire laughed. "Do you really believe that you will bring magic back to Albion? Can't you see that Arthur is as far gone as Uther?"

"I don't believe that," Merlin responded stiffly.

"Then why haven't you told him what you really are?"

Merlin winced. "It...it's never been the right time."

"No." Yvire shook his head. "You don't trust him."

"That isn't true!"

"Then why doesn't he know? Think, Merlin. Arthur doesn't care about you. How many times a day does he insult you and push you around and torment you? Join us. You can still bring magic back to Albion."

Merlin shook his head and stepped back. "No. I can't do that. Arthur is my friend!"

Yvire sighed. "You keep thinking that. But it's not true."

"I'm done talking to you," Merlin snapped. "If all you're going to do is try and convince me that Arthur thinks I'm just a piece of junk, then I'm leaving."

"Fine," Yvire said coldly. "I'll see you in two days, then. And when you die, don't say I didn't warn you."

And then he disappeared before Merlin's eyes.

_Sorry this one's a bit shorter. I'll try to make the next one longer. Please review! This time I'm offering invisible brownies with M&Ms embedded in the frosting. _


	5. Day Two

_Thanks for all of the alerts/faves! To those of you who reviewed, thank you very, very much. To those of you who didn't, no more invisible treats for you! 8D But you can convince me to give you some if you write plenty of nice reviews. __*cough hint cough* Thanks! _

The Wizards Duel 

_Chapter 4: Day Two_

"Swing to the left – _left_, Merlin!" "I _am_ swinging to the left!"

"No, you're doing it wrong! Grip the sword like _this_, so it doesn't fly from your hands." "If I grip it any tighter I'll get blisters!"

"You're supposed to make a chopping motion, not a – NO, don't do that!" "_What_?"

"Stop, Merlin, you can't enchant the sword!" "Why not? It's not like it's illegal. Oh wait..."

As you can see, training was not going well. Merlin wasn't motivated to learn, and Lancelot, in Merlin's point of view, wasn't a very straightforward teacher. He didn't understand half of what the knight was telling him, and the warlock felt rushed. Eventually, he threw down his sword in frustration.

"What's the point?" he growled. "It's already the second day. I should be studying my fighting spells, not wasting my time with this useless training! Swords aren't going to help me defeat Yvire. This is all POINTLESS!"

He just stood there for a moment, fists balled and glaring at the sword on the ground. Lancelot sighed and sat down.

"I know, Merlin," he said. "But we've got to keep Uther thinking that this is a normal duel. If he finds out that we're not practicing, he might get suspicious."

Merlin gritted his teeth. "I don't care. Last night I went to bed exhausted and sore, but then I had to stay up for three more hours so that I could study things that will actually help me in the duel, and after that I went to find Yvire so that he wouldn't spill the beans about my magic if Arthur finds him, which I didn't even get to ask because I never got the chance, and-"

"Wait," Lancelot cut in. "You went to see Yvire?"

Merlin sat down. "Yeah. I went to ask him not to tell Arthur why I was able to accept the challenge, but I was never able to bring it up."

"So you found him? What did he say?"

"He just kept trying to convince me to turn against Arthur."

"Did you find out anything important?"

Merlin hesitated. "Sort of. He's part of this organization of wizards who want Uther off the throne. This is their plan to do so."

Lancelot jumped up. "Then we must warn Uther! He needs to know."

"No!" Merlin exclaimed. "We can't. Those wizards are just angry because Uther made it illegal to be who they are. When I win the duel, they'll know that they won't be able to succeed and give up. Besides, how would we explain how we heard about it? That might lead to unwanted topics."

Lancelot gave him a sympathetic look. "Listen, Merlin. You're going to have to tell Arthur about your magic some time. You can't just let him find out at the duel."

Merlin sighed. "I know. But how can I tell him. It's not like I can just go up to him and say, 'Hey Arthur, I mucked out your tables and polished your armor. Oh, and by the way, I'm a warlock and the last Dragonlord. I still have to clean your room, though, but don't worry. It'll be done by the end of the day!'"

"You'll find a way," Lancelot assured him. "It may not be easy when the time comes, but you still need to tell him." He picked up the sword Merlin had thrown to the ground. "But you're right about one thing."

Merlin furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"We're wasting our time out here. Go and study your spells. I'll find a way to explain to Arthur why we aren't training anymore."

-/~\-

Gwen looked up from her sewing as a knock sounded on the door. She called for whoever it was to come in, and Merlin entered. He looked very nervous, like he really didn't want to be there.

"Hey, Merlin," she said. "Are you feeling alright? Please, sit down."

"Hmm?" Merlin asked, still standing. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine, I guess. Well, not really, but..."

Gwen smiled sympathetically. "It's a lot of pressure, the duel. But I have faith in you, Merlin. You may not be a very good fighter, but I know you'll find a way to win. You always seem to in all the tough situations you've been in."

Merlin shrugged. "I don't think...Look, Gwen, I need your help!"

Gwen was surprised by his sudden outburst. "Me? Of course. I'll do whatever I can."

Merlin took a deep breath. "I need to tell someone a secret, but it's going to be really hard, and I don't know how I should do it."

"Oh." Gwen put down her sewing. "Alright. Is it a very important secret?"

"Yes."

"Are you friends with the person you have to tell it to?"

"Yes, and I'm afraid it's going to totally ruin our friendship."

Gwen paused. "Are you sure you should tell the secret, then?"

Merlin nodded. "And even if I didn't tell, the person would find out anyways. But I don't want the person to find out...not from me."

Gwen thoughtfully brushed a lock of hair away from her face. "Well. You should try and tell the person as gently as possible. Sit the person down and let them prepare themselves for it as much as possible. Make sure you don't just burst it out, otherwise your friendship may have no chance of recovery after you've told the secret." She paused. "Is that helpful at all?"

"Yeah," Merlin said quickly. "Yeah, that's great. Thanks, Gwen!"

He turned around and ran from her house. Gwen stared after him, wondering what had just happened. Why hadn't he seemed nervous about the duel? And what was the secret that he so desperately needed to tell?

-/~\-

Merlin sat on his bed and sighed. He had gone to find Arthur after he had talked to Gwen, but halfway to Arthur's chambers he chickened out and fled to his room. How was he going to do it? He didn't want to wreck his friendship with Arthur, but he didn't want him to find out at the duel, either.

Gaius poked his head into Merlin's room. "Merlin? Would you like some lunch?"

Merlin shook his head. "I'm not hungry."

His stomach growled angrily at his lie, and Gaius smiled.

"Come on," he said. "You look like you need something. Besides, you need your strength."

Merlin stood and followed Gaius to the table. Gaius served him some soup and put a chunk of bread on his plate, and Merlin began to eat. The soup tasted better than he remembered, and soon he was hungrily wolfing it down. He ate three more bowls of soup and two more chunks of bread before his hunger was finally quenched.

"See?" Gaius chuckled. "I knew you were hungry."

Merlin smiled halfheartedly, and Gaius studied him worriedly.

"Are you alright, my boy?" he asked. "I can tell something's bothering you."

"Hmm, maybe it's that fight to the death that takes place in, what, tomorrow?" Merlin said sarcastically. Then he sighed. "I'm sorry, Gaius. That was uncalled for."

"Yes it was," Gaius said.

"But I'm trying to find a way to tell Arthur about my gifts before the duel so he doesn't find out that way," Merlin told him.

Gaius' eyes widened so much that Merlin thought they might pop out of his head. "Merlin! You can't! You'll be arrested and burned! Then there'll be no one for Yvire to duel and he'll have won."

"But if Arthur finds out at the duel, he might feel betrayed because I didn't tell him," Merlin argued.

"He'll feel betrayed either way, Merlin," Gaius said.

Merlin winced, and Gaius realized his mistake.

"Oh, Merlin, I didn't mean it like that," Gaius began, but Merlin had already left the room.

Merlin went to his room, and once he grabbed his spell book, he sneaked out the window and fled to the lake. He had made a habit of going there whenever he wanted to be alone. No one knew that he went there, so it was the perfect place for peace and solitude. He sat at the water's edge, absentmindedly skimming through the pages of his spell book.

-/~\-

Arthur entered the physician's chambers, and Gaius glanced up from his work.

"Hello, sire," he said. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"I'm looking for Merlin," Arthur replied, annoyed. "I know he's stressed, but that's no reason to be skipping out on his chores."

"He's in his room," Gaius told him worriedly. "He hasn't come out for a couple hours."

Arthur crossed to Merlin's room and opened the door. "Merlin, I know – Merlin?"

The room was empty. Arthur looked back at Gaius.

"Gaius," he called. "He's not in here."

"What?" Gaius exclaimed. "But I would have known if he had left. He's not sneaky enough, and his door creaks."

Arthur glanced back into Merlin's room. "I don't think he left through the door. His window's open."

"But it's too high for him to have climbed down," Gaius said thoughtfully.

Arthur turned away from Merlin's room and began to head for the door. "I'm going to find Gwen. Maybe she's seen him."

He went to Gwen, who was in the market, but she reported that she had seen him before lunch and therefore before Gaius.

"I knew he was acting strangely," Gwen cried, greatly distressed. "But I didn't think it was anything to worry about."

"How was he acting strangely?" Arthur demanded.

"He didn't seem worried about the duel at all, and he was asking me about this secret. He had to tell it to somebody, and he needed help on how he should say it."

"Do you know what the secret is?"

Gwen shook her head. "He never said."

"Excuse me."

They turned to see a young twelve-year-old girl standing behind them.

"I couldn't help but overhear that you're looking for Merlin," she said.

"Yes, he's my servant," Arthur said.

"I know where he is," the girl told them.

"Where?" Gwen and Arthur asked in unison.

"He's at the lake in the forest, with a view of the mountains," the girl said. "He goes there a lot. We often pass on the road when I'm on my way here with my mother to sell baskets."

Arthur and Gwen ran off, shouting a thank you over their shoulders. They ran all the way to the lake, where they found Merlin snoozing by the water, a book clutched lightly in his hand. Arthur scowled at him, then shook him forcefully awake. Merlin woke with a start.

"What?" he yelped. "Oh. Hi, Arthur." He tightened his grip on the book. "How did you find me?"

"A girl told us that you were here," Arthur said. "Now, listen, Merlin, I know you're stressed out by the duel, but you can't take leisure naps when you should be doing chores. Well? Have you anything to say for yourself?"

"Arthur, don't be so hard on him," Gwen reprimanded.

"He owes me an explanation, Gwen."

Merlin was quiet for a moment, staring sadly at the lake. Then he sighed.

"I'm sorry," he said. "It won't happen again. I promise."

Arthur nodded, satisfied. "Good. But next time you go and sulk, at least choose a place a little closer to the castle. Or don't sulk at all."

"I like it here," Merlin replied. "It's quiet, and it keeps me calm."

"It's a lake, Merlin. There's one just as nice that's closer to the castle. Go to that one next time."

Merlin smiled. "But this one's special. It has a view of the mountains, and a farmer lives nearby."

Arthur gave him a funny look. "How does that make it so special?"

Merlin shrugged. "No reason." He stopped. "Um, Arthur? I need to-"

"You need to clean my stables, organize my room, polish my armor, sharpen my sword, and clean my boots," Arthur interrupted. "And you only have a few hours to do so. So I suggest you get busy."

Merlin looked a little peeved. "But, Arthur, this is important."

"Not as important as your chores, I'm sure," Arthur said. "Now hop to it."

Merlin scowled and walked away. Arthur grinned after him, and Gwen slapped his arm.

"Hey, what was that for?" Arthur demanded.

"Can't you see?" Gwen snapped. "I told you that Merlin was trying to tell someone a secret."

Arthur just stared at her for a moment, then it dawned on him. "Oooooh..."

_I implore thee, please review! Thou shalt receive the reward of funfetti cake with wondrous cheesecake frosting and shining sprinkles. Be forewarned, these delicasies are not visible to the human eye. _


	6. Duel Preparations

_Alright, this might confuse you a bit, so I shall explain. This is the third day, but it is also the day of the duel. Yvire said that they would meet at the arena in three days, and it has been three. Almost. It wouldn't be until the afternoon before it had really been 72 hours, but you know what I mean. And now the story continues..._

The Wizards Duel

_Chapter 5: Duel Preparations_

Merlin lay awake in bed all night, dreading the first light of dawn. If it never came, he wouldn't have to fight Yvire. Arthur would never have to find out about his magic. But the sun appeared nonetheless, rising in the eastern horizon like any other day in the form of the dreaded dawn. And Merlin had to rise with it and prepare to live out the day in which he would either win the battle and be condemned to the stake, or lose the battle and die at the hands of the sorcerer Yvire.

Gaius and Merlin ate breakfast together in complete silence. Both were absorbed in their own thoughts about the upcoming events, and both were so on edge that they knew if one of them spoke, they might have a nervous breakdown.

After breakfast, Merlin left to attend Arthur. Everything was so quiet. The chatter that normally buzzed through the town as the morning began was replaced by silence, so that every footfall echoed loudly around Merlin as he crossed the courtyard to get to Arthur's room. Even the songbirds that spread their cheer atop the castle towers every morning sat quiet and somber. As Merlin pushed open Arthur's door, he couldn't stand the gloomy silence anymore. He ran over to Arthur's sleeping form, leaned down real close, and shouted as loud as he could:

"RISE AND SHINE, YOUR ROYAL PRATNESS!"

Arthur sat up quickly, and Merlin back up just soon enough that he managed not to have his nose smashed be Arthur's forehead.

"MERLIN!" Arthur roared. He swung at Merlin with his pillow, and Merlin danced out of range.

"Come now, Arthur, is that any way to start the morning of my possible demise?" he asked playfully.

Arthur's face fell. "That's today, isn't it?"

There was an awkward silence, then Merlin cleared his throat.

"Well, uh, you should get ready for the day," he said. "Lots to prepare for."

Merlin prepared Arthur for the day in an uncomfortable atmosphere. Merlin tried to strike up conversation several times, but none of his attempts were successful. Arthur remained silent, his hands constantly in motion, something he did when he was nervous or worried. The prince didn't know that Merlin knew of this habit. He thought that he did it casually enough that nobody knew. When Merlin was finally done, Arthur dismissed him.

Merlin hesitated. "Um, Arthur? You know how I was trying to tell you something yesterday, but you cut me off?"

Arthur glanced at him. "Oh, yes. What was it?"

Merlin gulped. "Um, well, you see...Uh..."

"Merlin, just say it. I'm sure it can't be that bad."

"Right. What I was trying to say is that...I sort of have-"

There was a knock on Arthur's door, and Leon's voice sounded from behind it.

"Sire! You're needed at the Throne Room immediately."

"Come in, Leon," Arthur called, and Leon entered, looking very out of breath.

"Sire," he wheezed. "It's Yvire. He's here."

Arthur's eyes widened. "What? When did he arrive?"

"Just now, sire," Leon said.

Arthur grabbed his sword and dashed past Merlin. "Sorry, Merlin, we'll talk before the duel, I promise. Now come on, you're probably needed."

Merlin, torn between relief and disappointment, hurried after them. In the Throne Room, Yvire was standing before Uther, looking very confident and...powerful. Merlin knew he could beat him, but seeing him there looking so smug and sure made Merlin nervous, so nervous he was feeling nauseated.

"...just wanted to be sure you understood what will happen if Merlin loses," Yvire was saying. "You must step down as King and publicly admit that you have terrorized and murdered hundreds of innocent people. Then you will live the rest of your life here in Camelot, where must face the guilt of your actions surrounded by the people you wronged. Do we have an understanding?"

Uther's face was green as he nodded. At that moment, a tiny part of Merlin wanted to lose the fight and make Uther face his crimes. But he knew that he couldn't do that. As much as he hated Uther for everything he had done, he knew that this was not the right way for magic to return to Albion. So he pushed the feeling aside and focused on the destiny Kilgarrah had given him: He _and Arthur_ would bring magic back.

"Ah, Arthur," Uther said shakily, noticing his son walking towards him. "Good."

"I shall see you at the arena this afternoon," Yvire said. He turned around and began to walk to the door. He stopped in front of Merlin and said in a quiet voice so that no one else could hear, "You can still change your mind, you know."

Merlin glared at him, and Yvire smirked back. Then he turned away and left. The Throne Room was quiet for a long time. Then Uther looked wearily at Lancelot.

"Sir Lancelot," he said. "Is the boy ready for the duel?"

Lancelot glanced at Merlin. "I believe so. I think that he will do very well, sire."

Uther didn't look very convinced but he did not contradict Lancelot's words. He just nodded and lapsed into silence. He suddenly sat up straight.

"Arthur," he said. "Did you ever find Yvire? Ask him why he chose the boy?"

Merlin saw Arthur hesitate. "Yes, Father. It was as I suspected. He claimed that Merlin was somehow special in a way that we do not know. When I asked him what it was, he said all would be revealed at the tournament."

Merlin's stomach lurched. Yvire really said that? Why didn't he just tell Arthur? Maybe he knew what his reaction would be.

A vivid picture of himself at the stake suddenly flared in Merlin's mind, and he shuddered. He shook off the thought. He didn't want to believe that that would be Arthur's reaction. It couldn't be.

"Court dismissed," Uther announced, and everyone filed out. Merlin walked next to Arthur.

"Did Yvire really say that?" Merlin asked.

Arthur paused. "No. I just didn't want my father to start fussing again and accusing a sorcerer of foul play. It's not good for his health."

"Oh." Merlin couldn't help but feel a tad disappointed by this news.

"Anyways," Arthur continued, oblivious to Merlin's reaction. "You wanted to tell me something?"

"Yes," Merlin said. "I've been wanting to tell you for a long time, but I've never really...well, uh...You see, I-"

"Merlin!" Elyan called from behind them. "You need to come with me and pick out a sword and armor."

"Just a moment," Merlin replied before turning back to Arthur. "Anyways, I was saying-"

"Merlin, come on," Elyan called. "We've only got a couple hours, and this could take a while."

"I know, just give me a minute," Merlin said desperately.

"No, Merlin, you should go," Arthur said. "I don't want you dying early because you were unprotected."

"But-"

"That was an order, Merlin," Arthur said.

Merlin glared at him, then followed Elyan to the armory. He had a sinking feeling in his stomach, and he began to think that maybe he wasn't going to be able to tell Arthur about his magic.

-/~\-

Merlin examined the sword Elyan had given him. The former blacksmith had said that it was one of the best swords in the armory, but Merlin thought that it looked just like any other sword he had ever seen: long and pointy. He took it even though he didn't need it, truly grateful for his friend's gift.

Elyan wasn't the only one giving him things. Gwaine had made Merlin drink out of his lucky tankard before he went to prepare, and Lancelot gave him some nice boots that he told Merlin would help his feet keep a firm grip on the ground. Gwen stopped by to give him a violet for good luck, and Percival gave him a small dagger for in case he lost his sword during the fight and couldn't get it back.

The tent flap opened, and Arthur walked in.

"Merlin!" he exclaimed. "Why on earth are you not in your armor yet? Do you _want_ to lose?"

"No, I don't," Merlin scowled.

"Then get in your armor," Arthur commanded.

Merlin took a deep breath. "I don't think I'll be needing it."

Arthur raised his eyebrows. "What makes you so confident about that? You're about to face a sorcerer, you're going to need all of the protection you can get. Here, I'll help you."

"Arthur, have you seen Yvire?" Merlin asked.

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Yeah, he's standing in the middle of arena. He's not wearing arm-" He stopped. "Wait, you think that because your opponent isn't wearing armor, you shouldn't either? No. Rule number one in combat: Always wear armor."

"I thought it was never turn your back on your opponent," Merlin said. "But Gwaine says that it's 'Never go into battle drunk.' And if I remember correctly, you yourself once said that the first rule is 'Don't drop your sword.' Am I right?"

Arthur sighed. "Listen, Merlin. I know you're nervous, but you've got to stop treating this like a joke and take this seriously. The fate of Camelot depends on whether or not you win."

"I'm not treating it like a joke," Merlin responded. "I'm just trying to keep my mind off of my death."

"You might win," Arthur pointed out.

_Maybe, but I'm going to die afterwards_, Merlin thought miserably. He glanced up at Arthur.

"Hey, uh, listen," he said. "I-"

The tent flap opened, and Gwaine stepped inside. He looked like he'd been drinking, but he was somber as he spoke.

"Merlin," he said. "It's time."

Merlin stared at him. _Oh, no_.

_I have this really bad habit of feeling the emotions of the characters as I write, so when Merlin was nervous and nauseous, I was not doing so well. _

_Sorry this one was a bit on the shorter side. Reviewers receive an invisible chocolate bunny or transparent chocolate Easter eggs. This is a limited time offer, so review now. The number is the little blue button below. _


	7. The Wizard Duel

_Sorry this one's a bit short, and it took my a bit longer to write. But this is hard stuff, man, and you can't rush art! :) Thanks for all the alerts and reviews and such. You all deserve a chocolate bunny. I'm feeling rather Eastery this chapter. Enjoy, and don't forget to review! _

The Wizards Duel

_Chapter 6: The Wizard Duel_

It was strange, being in the arena. From the sidelines, it looked comfortable, the sandy ground giving it a somewhat peaceful appearance. But in truth, the arena was filthy. Blood speckled the ground, and the seemingly smooth surface was full of small ditches and slippery areas. It was a place of death, and Merlin could almost hear the dying screams of every man who had lost his life there.

Murmurs ran through the crowd as he walked towards Yvire.

"What's he doing?"

"Yeah, where's his armor?"

"The kid's gonna destroy him without it."

"I don't see a sword, either."

"Good luck, Merlin!" Gwen's call broke through their comments, and several others followed suit, yelling encouragement.

Yvire smirked at Merlin as he stopped a few yards away from the young sorcerer. "So admiring now. Too bad they'll be screaming for your death if you do win."

Merlin did not reply, and Yvire turned to the stands.

"We need an overseer," he announced. He surveyed the crowd, his gaze stopping on Gaius. "Ah, Gaius. You've witnessed one of these duels before, I believe. Why don't you be our overseer?"

Gaius paled. "That was...many years ago. I don't really remember-"

"Oh, please, Gaius," Yvire scoffed. "I have heard a lot about you. You remember just fine. You just don't want to."

Gaius gulped. "Very well."

He made his way to the royal stands, where he murmured an apology to Uther before turning to the wizards.

"In this duel," he began, "there is no fair or unfair. Transformation of any kind is acceptable, as are mutative spells. The only rule that is strictly enforced is that invisibility is absolutely prohibited. Any participant that turns invisible will be immediately disqualified and proclaimed the loser. Are you prepared to fight?" The wizards nodded, and confused whispers hummed through the stands. "Then cast aside your honor"-Gaius' voice cracked, but he kept speaking-"and let the duel begin."

Yvire immediately turned to Merlin. His eyes flashed gold, and he transformed into and enormous twenty-foot python. Hissing, Yvire slithered towards Merlin, fast as lightning, and struck down. Merlin dove to the side, Yvire's new fangs digging into the earth a few inches away from where Merlin now stood. Yvire hissed angrily and turned to Merlin, spitting venom. He struck again, and this time Merlin had no time to dive aside. He threw up his hands, and with a flash of gold in Merlin's eyes, Yvire froze mid-strike just centimeters away from Merlin.

"Merlin?"

He looked over at Arthur. The prince's face was a mask of horror and disbelief. Merlin felt a stab of guilt, and he wished that he could run and hide. His concentration broke. Yvire fell the the ground in a coiled heap, and Merlin jumped back as the snake's fangs nearly struck his foot. Yvire hissed and transformed back into a human. His eyes glowed gold and he threw a fireball at Merlin, but with a wave of Merlin's hand it erupted in a burst of light.

"Very good, Emrys," Yvire said. "But I'm sure you can do better."

Merlin recalled a spell that he had found by the lake. "_Cuniculus!_"

Yvire's eyes widened as he began to shrink, and in just a few moments the sorcerer found himself with long ears, a cottontail, and an overpowering lust for carrots. Merlin had turned him into a rabbit.

Merlin pointed at him. "_Occidere_!"

Yvire squeaked a spell and blocked it. He transformed himself into a lion, and Merlin turned into a lynx. The wizards leapt at each other. Merlin ran his claws down Yvire's side, and Yvire let out a roar of pain. He jumped onto Merlin's back, and Merlin threw him off. Yvire scrambled to his paws and sank his teeth into the back of Merlin's neck. Merlin screeched and wriggled from his grasp.

He transformed into a merlin, gliding above Yvire to recuperate. Yvire growled and transformed into an eagle, attacking him with outstretched talons. Merlin, being smaller, was able to dodge easily, and once he managed to dive over and claw at Yvire's eyes before fluttering out of reach. Yvire plummeted to the ground, transforming into a feather to soften his fall. He transformed back into a human when he touched the ground, his hands covering his face.

Merlin circled him unsteadily, the pain in his neck making him dizzy. He alighted on the ground a little ways away from Yvire and turned back into a human. Yvire glared at him, and Merlin took a step back. One of Yvire's eyes was slashed through, and blood was oozing from it rapidly.

"I see transformation is a strength of yours," Yvire rasped. "Impressive. _Fulmine ictus!" _

Lightning shot from his fingertips, and hit Merlin square in the chest. The warlock went flying backwards twenty-five feet and landed painfully on his back. He lay there gasping for breath as Yvire staggered towards him. The sorcerer raised his hand and shouted the spell again, hoping to end it then. But at the last moment, Merlin was able to deflect it.

Yvire growled in irritation. "Just _die_! _Occidere!_"

Merlin blocked the spell and cast one of his own. "_Valetudo vomitus!_"

Yvire slapped a hand over his mouth, and Merlin rolled to the side as his opponent vomited. Yvire stammered out the counter spell, and the vomiting ceased.

"_Caedere!_" he shouted, and a slice appeared on Merlin's arm. Merlin let out a cry of pain as the blood welled out of the wound. Yvire repeated the spell, and another gouge appeared on Merlin's leg. Merlin tumbled to the ground, and Yvire prepared to shout the killing spell.

That's when Merlin roared.

It was an unearthly sound that sent a shiver up Arthur's spine. At first nothing happened, and Yvire began to pronounce the spell. Then a shadow passed over Yvire, and the sorcerer looked up. He gasped and stumbled backwards.

"You can't do that!" he screamed. "How are you doing that? They never said that you could-"

The dragon swooped down and landed in the arena. The people screamed and began to flee, and several of the knights drew their swords. But the dragon wasn't looking at them. He was glaring at Yvire.

"Such a waste of talent," he sighed. "You could have been a great man, Yvire. I must say that I'm disappointed."

He leaned down, and Yvire screamed as Kilgarrah's jaws closed around him. Within moments, the sorcerer had slid down the Great Dragon's throat, and he was silenced.

There was a pause.

"Whoopee, YEAH!" Gwaine shouted. "Yvire-eating dragon triumphs!"

Kilgarrah glanced at him, a slight twinkle of amusement in his golden eyes, then he rose into the air and flew away. Uther finally found his voice and screamed for the knights to stop him. But the dragon was already long gone, and the only thing left was Merlin lying motionless in the arena.

"Seize the boy!" Uther shouted, and several guards ran out to the arena.

"Father, wait," Arthur protested. "Merlin just saved us all. Let Gaius tend to him before you make any rash decisions."

"The boy is a sorcerer!" Uther screeched.

"And he won the fight for us," Arthur argued. "He deserves to be tended to."

"He's dangerous. He can control the dragon, which is supposed to be DEAD!" Uther yelled.

"Gaius, see to Merlin's wounds," Arthur ordered. Uther started to counter his command, but Arthur stopped him. "No, Father. He will die without treatment, and no matter what he is, he saved us all and deserves it. We'll discuss this later."

He stepped out onto the arena, picked Merlin up, and carried him to Gaius' chambers.

_Ooo, what will happen to Merlin? I think he'll be executed in the middle of the night by Uther so that Arthur can't stop him. What do you think Why don't you write your opinion in a nice and shining review? Reviewers receive some of my mom's homemade jelly. Your choice of flavor: Strawberry, raspberry (purple, red, or black), apple, or pear spice. They are to _die_ for. _


	8. Healing Dream

_I am soooo sorry that it took me so long to finish this chapter, but I was constantly changing my mind about whether or not I'd kill Merlin. I won't tell you my decision, though. :P You'll just have to keep reading. And by the by, thanks for all of your charming reviews. This is the best response of all my stories. _

The Wizards Duel

_Chapter 7: Healing Dream_

Arthur stared expressionlessly down at Merlin. He didn't really know what to be feeling. Was it anger? fear? sadness? betrayal? He couldn't make up his mind, so he decided to feel nothing. He didn't feel, and he didn't think, fearing that if he began to think he would begin to feel negative emotions that he would rather avoid.

From Merlin's room, Arthur could hear Uther and Gaius arguing in the main chamber.

"I want my son away from that devil boy, Gaius," Uther spat. "He might hurt him."

"Have you seen the state that Merlin is in, sire?" Gaius shot back. "He is practically in a coma!"

"I don't care! Get him out of there, or step aside so that I can."

"I've tried to persuade him, sire, I really have, but he refuses to leave Merlin's side, even when I threatened to call the guards in to take him away. And when the guards did come in, he just drew his sword and they backed off."

"There must be _something_ we can do!"

"I think that the only thing that could take him away from Merlin right now is Merlin getting better. And...that isn't likely to happen."

-/~\-

For what felt like years, all Merlin felt was pain. He was being consumed by a black fire that surrounded him, sucking in every ray of light that might have reached him. At the beginning, there had been this terrible roaring sound that pulsed violently and shook the entire world. Then it stopped. For a long time, it echoed about him, slowly fading away into nothing. It eventually stopped entirely, leaving Merlin with the darkness and pain. He wanted to scream, but his body was limp and refused to obey him.

_Someone help me!_ he screamed in his mind.

_Anyone..._

A burst of light erupted out of nowhere, and Merlin was momentarily blinded. His vision adjusted, and Merlin saw a woman standing before him. She had wavy black hair and cold eyes, her deep red lips curved in a sneering smirk. Nimueh.

"You called, Emrys?" she said sweetly.

Merlin glared at her. "What do you want?"

"Me?" Nimueh exclaimed. "You are the one who called for help. I was sent. Much to the disappointment of your druid girl."

"Freya?" Merlin said. "Why wasn't she sent?"

"You've already seen her in death twice," Nimueh responded. "The Old Religion thought that it would be unfair to the rest of the dead if she got three chances to leave the spirit realm while others got none."

"Then why didn't they send someone I actually care about?"

Nimueh _tsk_-ed. "Tut tut, Merlin. You should be grateful that they even sent you a healing dream. Not many are blessed with one. And be thankful that you weren't sent a loved one. It would taunt you to give up your spirit now, and since you are close enough to death, you could do that. But you are still needed in the world of the living, so dying now would be a very poor decision."

"Why is that?"

Nimueh rolled her eyes "Because your destiny is still unfulfilled. You have many years left ahead of you. For you to skip them would prove disastrous."

"You called this a healing dream," Merlin said, looking to change the topic. "What exactly is that?"

"If a very important magical being is dying before their times has come, the Old Religion will put them to sleep and heal the wound that is causing their death," Nimueh answered.

"And why are you here?" Merlin asked.

Nimueh smirked. "The healing process is very painful. I am here to ensure that you do not die from the mere pain of it all. My presence numbs your physical senses so that that doesn't happen."

Merlin's eyes widened. "I can die because of the pain?"

Nimueh's smile widened. "Are you still sure you don't want me around?"

"Oh, no, that's okay," Merlin said hastily. "I don't mind the company, no matter who it is."

There was an uncomfortable silence.

"So, how long do these healing dreams usually last?" Merlin asked.

Nimueh raised an eyebrow. "So you're still eager to be rid of me, are you?"

"What? No! That's not what I said."

Nimueh laughed. "I'm just messing with you. And the dream lasts only several hours in the dream world and around twenty minutes in the waking world. So if you have any questions, I would ask them now. I will do my best to answer them."

"What do you know about the Sorcerer's Academy?" Merlin asked, recalling the school that Yvire had been trained at.

Nimueh nodded. "I know plenty about them. Most of them are amateurs. Every once in a while they come upon a powerful sorcerer, like Yvire and Alvarr."

"Alvarr? They trained Alvarr?"

"Yes. But he left them shortly after his training was finished to gather followers and try to take down Uther himself. Anyways, the Sorcerer's Academy was formed a year after Uther banned magic. As Yvire told you, its soul purpose is to take Uther off the throne and replace him with a sorcerer. The Old Religion greatly disapproves of them. Even though Uther is evil, the throne is meant for his son, and if the Academy was to be successful, then they would defile every prophecy about Emrys and Arthur Pendragon. And those prophesies are not something to just disregard."

Merlin narrowed his eyes. "Wait, didn't you sort of try to kill Uther yourself? And me?"

"Yes," Nimueh admitted. "But I was unaware of who you were at the time that I tried to kill you. As for Uther, if his reign is shortened, that doesn't matter. Especially now that Arthur has accepted magic. He may not realize it yet, but ever since you nearly died protecting Camelot, his heart has come to realize that not all magic is used to destroy. It just hasn't quite reached his head, is all."

Merlin nodded slowly. "I hope it reaches his head before I wake up." He hesitated. "Nimueh? What was your life like, you know, before the Great Purge?"

Nimueh smiled, her eyes distant. "It was wonderful. I had family, and my friends stayed away from Dark Magic. I held favor in Uther's eyes, and I was good friends with Ygraine. My sisters and I were close, and Camelot was prosperous..."

She talked for a long time, telling Merlin about the freedom of practicing magic in the open. Merlin couldn't help but be envious of her time of freedom. Never having to hide her true identity, or act like a complete fool so that no one would ever suspect who she really was.

"What happened that caused Uther to turn on you?" Merlin asked.

Nimueh's face darkened. "Ygraine died. They wanted an heir so badly that they turned to magic, as I believe you already know. They used the cup of life. When Arthur was born, the balance of the world was disturbed, and a life had to be taken. The Old Religion chose Ygraine." She sighed. "I didn't want it to happen, but there was nothing I could do. The choice had been made. Uther blamed magic, and me in particular, since I am a priestess of the Old Religion. Uther, the once loving king, was consumed by hate, and he attempted to quench it by slaying all with magic. But he only fed his rage."

Merlin was surprised. He never thought that Nimueh could look so sad. She had always acted so heartless and cold, as though she harbored no emotion whatsoever.

"I'm sorry," Merlin murmured.

Nimueh smiled sadly. "I am, too. But it was destined to happen. If it hadn't, neither you or Arthur would have been born."

"But many others would not have died," Merlin pointed out. "And I wouldn't have been needed."

"Perhaps," Nimueh said. "But then Uther would not have had an heir, and Albion would have gotten into a civil war that would have torn up the kingdom even more than the Great Purge did."

A light breeze past over them, and Nimueh glanced behind her shoulder. "The Old Religion has finished. It is time for the dream to end. Do you have any more questions?"

"Just one," Merlin said. "Does the healing dream disturb the balance of the earth?"

Nimueh hesitated. "Yes."

"Who's life...?" Merlin began.

"You will see," Nimueh told him. "Good luck, Emrys."

"Thank you," Merlin said.

Nimueh smiled, and the darkness returned once more.

_Cliffy again, sorta. At least, you don't know who's gonna die. Muahahaha! Are you glad that Merlin didn't die? I am. I got too depressed when I tried to kill him off. So I decided to slay some mystery character. Muahahaha! I like that. Muahahaha! _

_Anyways, tell me what thou dost thinketh of my fine tale. Reviewers receive a delish treat of thine own choosing. I beith running out of bribes, so thou getest to choose thyself! _


	9. Death Sentence

_I am so very sorry that it took me so long to update! This chapter is long overdue. But you must excuse me. I had writer's block, and right when I had a breakthrough, I was grounded from Fan Fiction. But alas, look below! Marvel at the wonder that is my next chapter..._

The Wizards Duel

_Chapter 8: Death Sentence_

It was dusk. The sun was slowly sinking towards the dark horizon, painting the sky a brilliant mixture of orange, pink, and yellow. The songbirds bade the day farewell with a beautiful swan song, and an old owl welcomed the oncoming night with a low hoot. All was peaceful.

Arthur hadn't budged from his seat next to Merlin's bed. He couldn't help but notice that Merlin looked much better than he had twenty minutes ago. His slow, ragged breathing had improved immensely, and he didn't look so pale. He looked more like he was sleeping than like he was in a coma.

Arthur heard voices outside the room. There was Gaius, and what sounded like may have been Gwen.

"How are they?" he heard Gwen say worriedly. "Is he still with him?"

"Yes," Gaius responded. "Merlin is looking much better. I am now completely positive that he will pull through. In fact, he should be waking soon."

"And Arthur?" The prince had to strain to hear her.

"I'm not quite sure. He seems to be in a bit of shock. I'm honestly a little worried that he might do something he'll regret when Merlin regains consciousness."

"Why? He seemed fine with it before."

"He's denying his emotions. He refuses to feel anything. I saw the same thing happen to many people in similar situations. If they refuse to feel, they can't get angry, and they won't harm anyone."

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Gwen said. "He knows deep down that Merlin is a good man. He wouldn't hurt Merlin, no matter how upset he was with him."

"And if you're wrong?" Gaius' voice was hardly a whisper.

There was a pause. "Then he isn't the man I thought he was. But do you have anything for me? My chest hurts very badly whenever I inhale."

"Of course, dear." There was the sound of bottles and vials clinking about. "Ah, here it is. Drink that, and in a few hours you should be feeling better. Come to me if otherwise."

Gwen thanked him and left, and everything was as it was before.

"Arthur."

The prince jumped and looked at Merlin. His servant was staring up at him, his blue eyes droopy from just waking.

"Welcome back, idiot," Arthur said quietly.

Merlin grinned hesitantly. "How are you?"

"It's alright, you can relax," Arthur said. "I'm alright with your...you know."

Merlin nodded slowly. "Thanks. I was trying to tell you, you know. Before the duel. The duel!" He sat up quickly. "What happened? The last thing I remember is calling Kilgarrah. Did I win?"

Arthur smiled wryly. "Don't worry, the dragon ate Yvire." His smile disappeared suddenly. "The dragon that is supposed to be dead."

Merlin grinned bashfully. "Ah. Yes, about that. I meant to tell you that as well. You didn't kill him, exactly."

The prince raised his eyebrows. "Really? I hadn't gathered as much."

The door opened, and Gaius walked in, several bowls of medicine balanced on a tray. He smiled in delight when he noticed Merlin lying awake in bed.

"Merlin," he exclaimed. "You're awake!" He shot a glare at the Crown Prince. "Why did you not fetch me the moment he woke?"

"Gaius, it's alright," Merlin said quickly. "I feel fine."

Gaius gave him a doubtful look. "Merlin, you were electrocuted and then you lost a fairly large amount of blood. There is no way that you could be feeling _fine_."

Merlin shrugged. "Well, there must be since I really do feel alright."

Gaius paused. "Very well. I'm still going to check your wounds."

He examined the deep gashes on Merlin's arms and legs, applying a salve to the raw flesh. The wounds were still bad, but they were no longer as deep, and the bleeding had ceased. Arthur spoke to Gaius as the old man worked.

"How is Gwen?" he asked.

Merlin's gaze snapped to him. "Gwen? Is she alright? Why was she here?"

"Don't worry, Merlin," Gaius said. "She just has a bit of chest pain. It's nothing to worry about, I'm sure."

Merlin sat up straight, nearly knocking Gaius' tray of medicines to the floor. "No! Not Gwen. It can't be Gwen!"

"What are you talking about, Merlin?" Arthur demanded, confused.

"You need to see to Gwen!" Merlin shouted to Gaius. "Now, it's important!"

"Merlin, calm yourself," Gaius ordered sternly.

"No, you need to see to her!" Merlin roared. "She can't die, you can't let her!"

"MERLIN!" Arthur bellowed, and his servant quieted, shaking uncontrollably.

"Now, Merlin, will you explain what you are talking about?" Gaius asked softly.

Merlin took a deep, shaking breath. "The Old Religion sent me a healing dream."

Gaius gasped. "What? No one has been sent a healing dream in decades! Who was your attendant?"

"Nimueh. She said that the healing dream disturbed the balance of the world. Someone is going to die."

"Nimueh? I guess that's understandable, since you did-"

"Gaius!" Merlin cried, exasperated. "Did you not hear me? Someone. Is. Going. To. Die!"

"And you think it might be Gwen?" Arthur said, eyes wide.

"But it may just be a chest infection," Gaius said. "Those are hardly ever fatal, especially when they are caught this early. It will probably just...be someone else."

They were silent, pondering whose life the Old Religion would choose to take. How Merlin wished that Nimueh had just told him! He didn't want to fear which of his friends it might be. Even then, he felt guilty knowing that because of him someone was going to die.

"Can you still check up on Gwen?" Merlin requested. "I don't want to take any chances."

Gaius nodded. "Of course, Merlin. I'll keep an eye on her."

"I'm going to check on her anyways," Arthur said, his eyes worried. "Merlin, do you mind?"

Merlin shook his head. "No, go ahead. Tell me how she's doing, or send her to see me."

Arthur smiled. "I will. Now get some more rest. I'll check up on you later. You have a lot of explaining to do."

Merlin smiled weakly. Arthur said farewell and exited the room. Gaius finished placing the salve on Merlin's wounds, while Merlin told him about the healing dream. When they were both finished, the elderly physician left Merlin to let the injured warlock get some more sleep.

Merlin lay in his bed, trying to sleep, but the fact that someone was going to die kept gnawing at his mind. Soon he deemed sleep impossible and began to flick through his magic book, which was hidden as always under his pillow.

-/~\-

It had been a very long day for Gwaine. At the beginning of the day, he was anxious for Merlin. He knew that his friend would win. There was no way that this Yvire could possibly beat Merlin's magical awesomeness. Then, after the duel, the stupid wizard had nearly bled himself to death. I mean, seriously! How inconsiderate. He should have known that Gwaine didn't like worrying. And that was what he was doing _all day_. So when he saw Arthur walking out of the castle, looking a little worried but still smiling, Gwaine felt very peeved. He stomped over to the Crown Prince and blocked his way.

"Why are you smiling?" he growled. "You should be crying your royal eyes out! Merlin's on his death bed, and you're _smiling_? You complete and utterly _lame_ and _pathetic _excuse for a friend!"

"Gwaine," Arthur tried to speak.

"I don't want to hear your excuses, you pompous prat!"

"Gwaine, listen-"

"What did I just say, Princess? Do I need to repeat myself?"

"Gwaine, will you just-"

"No! You aren't listening to me, so I won't listen to you."

"Merlin's awake, Gwaine," Arthur snapped.

Gwaine blinked. "Well, why didn't you say so?"

Arthur rolled his eyes. "That's what-"

"Never mind, I don't want to know," Gwaine interrupted. "I'd love to stay and chat, but I have a half-dead warlock to visit. Ta-ta, my friend!"

He headed for Merlin's chambers, a light skip in his step and a bright smile on his face. At least the day was ending well.

Gwaine was three corridors from Merlin's and Gaius' chambers when he saw Uther strutting in the same direction, flanked by several guards. The King was saying something, but Gwaine was too far behind them to hear. He stealthily sneaked up behind them to listen.

"...to be very careful," Uther warned quietly. "The boy is extremely dangerous. He may try to use magic to defend himself. If he does, don't bother arresting him. Kill him instantly."

Gwaine's eyes widened. The old creep was going to arrest Merlin! He needed to be stopped. But Gwaine couldn't do that. That would be treasonous, and then both he _and_ Merlin would be executed. And Gwaine didn't do executions. They didn't work well with his hair. So how could he stop them?

The King entered the physician's chambers, followed by the guards. Gwaine peeked inside just in time to see one of the guards dragging Merlin from the back room of the chambers. Merlin looked like a zombie, with dark bags under his eyes and an even paler complexion than usual. His right eye was half-closed due to a swelling cut over it, and he had bandages rapped around his right leg and his left arm. Gaius was shouting protests, but Uther cut him off.

"Boy, you are hereby arrested for the treason of practicing sorcery," the King announced. "You will be burned at the stake at dawn."

He motioned for the guards to take him away, and Gwaine hid behind a door nearby.

"But sire, please wait!" Gaius pleaded, trailing after the King as the guards dragged Merlin to the dungeons.

"No, Gaius, the boy is a traitor and must be executed," Uther stated. He stopped in front of the door Gwaine hid behind and turned to Gaius. "Now, listen, Gaius. I am going to overlook the fact that you have known about this boy's magic all this time. But if you continue to push me, I will not be able to do so much longer. Do you understand?"

"You think that I am concerned for my own life?" Gaius spat with so much malice that Gaius had never thought was possible for the kind old man to use. "Merlin is an innocent boy, Uther. You cannot execute him after he saved Camelot like that!"

"I will do what I must to keep the kingdom safe, Gaius," Uther replied coldly. "I understand that you care for the boy, Gaius, you have often said that he was like a son to you. But he is a danger to the kingdom, and I cannot permit him to live."

"Arthur will not stand for this," Gaius said in a quivering voice. "He will never forgive you."

Uther smiled grimly. "Yes he will. He and the boy aren't that close. It may take him a while, but I'm certain he will come around eventually."

Gaius glared at him. "You underestimate their friendship. Arthur will never forgive you, ever, if you kill Merlin. He is the closest friend that Arthur has ever had."

"Then I will be doing my son a favor," Uther said. "He needs to learn that his friendship is for people of higher rank, not for that of a mere serving boy. I let his commoner knights stay knights because of their brave deeds. But this boy will never be worthy of my son's friendship, sorcerer or not! He will burn, and there is nothing that you or Arthur or anyone else can do about it!"

He turned on his heels and stalked off, leaving Gaius fuming in the hall. The old physician stormed back into his room, and Gwaine leapt out from behind the door. He needed to find Arthur, otherwise his friend would be a pile of charred remains by the end of tomorrow.

-/~\-

Argument between the King and Prince Arthur was relatively common. On many occasions the servants had walked by the Prince's closed chamber door and overheard them quarreling over various topics. This night was different. The shouting was thunderous. From five corridors away, with the door closed, their words were audible. Servants huddled by the Throne Room door, eager for a fresh piece of gossip. The rows of their sovereign never failed to entertain.

"For the last time, Arthur, he is a traitor!" Uther shouted. The servants had to cup their hands around their ears to keep their ears from ringing. "He will burn at the stake tomorrow at dawn."

"How can you be so cold?" Arthur demanded. "Merlin is a good man. He saved Camelot from Yvire and whoever else he might have been secretly working for. You cannot do this!"

"I can and will," Uther returned. "I can see that the boy has enchanted you to stand against me. He is dangerous!"

"Merlin has worked for me for nearly four years! Tell me why he hasn't killed me sooner. He's had plenty of opportunities. And he has saved my life in the past. Many times, now that I think about it. He stood against Morgana, too. Why didn't he join her and Morgause?"

"Do not speak that name! I forbid you to speak that name."

"I will say it if I wish to. Your hate of magic has blinded you. Merlin is living proof that magic is not all evil."

"You cannot believe that!" Uther screamed. "Not after all I have taught you. Magic is an abomination. It corrupts all who practice it. My former ward is proof of that."

"Morgana was influenced by Morgause. It is not her fault that she was led astray."

"Enough!" Uther snarled. "Your servant will die at dawn. This matter is closed!"

Heavy footsteps approached the door, and the eavesdropping servants rapidly scattered.

_Review if you hate Uther. Please? Sundaes are your treat. Your choice of topping. _


	10. How a Bored Warlock Escaped

_YEEEEHAAAW! 96 reviews, 48 favorites, 84 alerts, and 8,980 hits! I even got added to a community! I am literally going insane with glee! I love you all so very, very, very, very much! I would say that I can't ask for more, but if you alls could be so amazingly kind as to shoot my review numbers into the triple digit zone, that would be oh so wonderfully AWESOME! _

_This is just a short one, a wee bit of a filler. But enjoy. _

The Wizards Duel

_Chapter 9: How a Bored Warlock Escaped From a Small Army_

Twenty guards were stationed at the entrance to the dungeon. Thirty stood in the main dungeon chamber. Fifty guarded the entrance to the cell chamber. Seventy stood guard over the cell in the far back of the dungeon. A break-in was impossible. Escape couldn't even be thought of.

Merlin conjured up a tiny fireball and began tossing it in the air and catching it with his other hand. One of the guards saw him and banged his spear against the cell bars.

"Oi!" he exclaimed. "Stop that!"

"What?" Merlin asked in a bored tone.

"The–the magic thing!" the guard said, glaring suspiciously at the ball of fire as it bounced from one of Merlin's hands to the other.

"Why? It's not hurting anyone, and I'm bored," Merlin said monotonously. "And this is what we warlocks do when we're bored."

"Put it out," the guard growled.

Merlin sighed. "Fine."

He extinguished the fire and slumped against the wall with an irritated groan. Now that he had fully recovered from the duel, he was bored beyond words, and he was _not_ going to let the guards get away with ruining his one source of entertainment.

"Bored," he murmured. "Bored bored bored bored bored. Bored. I'm bored. Bored bored bored. B-O-R-E-D spells bored. Bored bored bored bored bored. "

"Shut it," the guard ordered him.

Merlin sighed and was quiet for a moment. Then-

"Bored."

The guard swung around and grabbed the bars. "I said to shut it!"

Merlin shrugged. "Okay."

He stared at the wall. Ah! Something to do. Count how many mildew spots are on the wall...Five minutes late: Five thousand eight hundred forty-three. Merlin tapped his foot against the stone floor, bored once more, and glanced at the guards.

"Did you know," he said, and the guards looked back at him, "that I could turn you all into toads in just one second? Then I could unlock the door and escape. Like so."

He whispered a spell, and a something croaked. The guards jumped as a toad hopped about near Merlin's cell door. Merlin grinned.

"What did you do?" a guard gasped.

"He turned someone into a toad!" another yelped.

"Quick, we should count us to make sure it's not a trick," another suggested.

One of them moved through the small army of guards and began to count. A few minutes later, he let out a disparaging cry.

"There's only sixty-nine of us!" he cried. "He _did_ turn one of us into a toad!"

"No, you must be wrong!" another exclaimed. "I'll recount."

He, too came up with sixty-nine.

Merlin chuckled. "Now release me, or you'll all be toads!"

There was much shouting and scrambling for the keys, and a few minutes later Merlin's door was unlocked and he was being escorted from the dungeon. The other hundred let him pass when they heard about the guard being turned into a toad. As he made to leave the dungeon, he turned to the many guards, smiled, and gave a mock bow before walking away.

Stupid guards, he thought. He knew that plan would work. He hadn't really turned one of them into a toad. He had simply conjured one up. The idiot guard had simply forgotten to count himself.

As Merlin knocked on the door of Arthur's chambers, the alarm bell sounded. Arthur's door flew open, and Merlin grinned at the shocked expression on Arthur's face.

"Hello, prat," he said, and he brushed past Arthur and entered the room.

_Don't forget to review! My eternal love and gratitude if you do! _


	11. A Fragile Mind Makes a Fragile Heart

_I would have had this up sooner, but alas! Not long ago, a terrible person placed a horrendous curse upon many high schools. Its name sends chills up your spine. It strikes fear into the bravest heart! Its name...SUMMER SCHOOL! _

_Special thanks to magicrazy101, EvilCabbagezPwn, AzraelLilith, irezel, Alierana, hyperfuzzy, Emachinescat, ruby890, merlingirl, FireChildSlytherin5, hazelbunny, i heart merlin, catapilla1, momo9momo, Blink XXVII, Hiding in the Shadow, Eavis, noreallyidontcare, thunderful, Cassy27, 104Arianna, Gwenneth, mrsspecialk, bookaddict27, and Alaia Skyhawk for reviewing. I really appreciate all of your support.  
><em>

_Anywho, enjoy yon chapter, even though it's not the best I've ever written. _

_OW _

The Wizards Duel

_Chapter 10: A Fragile Mind Makes a Fragile Heart_

Uther paced his chambers restlessly, stopping occasionally to glance out the window at the half moon hovering silently in the night sky. He had tried sleeping, but disturbing thoughts would not stop running through his head. He tried desperately to push them to the back of his mind, but time and time again they resurfaced, stronger and more paranoid than before. This had been happening a lot recently, starting just a couple days before Yvire had arrived and issued the challenge. He would stay up all night thinking about his former ward, how she was still out there...plotting...planning an attack that could come at any moment...who she had recruited...who could be trusted and who could not be. Already he mistrusted three of his advisers, he planned on arresting two of the cooks, and he had suspicions about a few maids that cleaned the castle. Many more were on the list, which he hid in a secret slot in his desk. Obviously, he had put down the name of his son's incompetent manservant, Merlin, as soon as he had discovered his place in the magical world. Merlin was obviously working for Mor-Uther's former ward. Why else would he have begun to practice magic? Besides, the boy and his former ward had always been suspiciously close. Uther had even once suspected the two to be having a love affair. What was it with his children and their fascination for servants?

He stopped pacing for a moment and looked at the desk. He wanted to get out the list and add a name...but it was too difficult. He decided that his hesitation meant that he didn't really suspect this person. But the name seemed to fit so well into the plot.

Arthur.

His son was so quick to defend the sorcerer. Perhaps it was just hard for him to let go of his stupid servant, who Uther knew that he had gotten too close to over the past few years. But his defiance went beyond attachment. It was a fierce loyalty accompanied by a strong, unshakable friendship, and through that Merlin must have convinced Arthur to turn on Uther and side with Mor-magic. Thankfully, Merlin would be dead before the next morning was out, and Uther would be able to pound sense back into his son's head. Merlin wouldn't be able to change his mind this time.

A knock sounded on Uther's door, and he made a frustrated noise. He hated it when people interrupted his thoughts. He snapped "Enter," and a very nervous guard entered. He cleared his throat and opened his mouth to speak, then accidentally dropped his spear. Uther rolled his eyes as the guard leaned over to pick it up.

"What is it?" the King demanded, annoyed. "It had better be good."

"It is, sire," the guard squeaked, his voice high and cracking. "I mean...it's not good news, sir. We have a problem." He stopped, as if trying to put off telling Uther the news.

"Yes?" Uther said gruffly.

"Yes," the guard confirmed, laughing nervously.

"What's the problem?" Uther growled.

"Problem? What problem?" the guard stammered. "Oh, that problem! Yes, there's a problem. You see, sire. The prisoner has-"

Uther became suddenly aware of the sound of the alarm bells ringing, and the guard faltered for a moment at the king's expression.

"Escaped," he finished, his voice hardly above a whisper.

Uther's face went purple. "WHAT? HE'S ESCAPED?"

"Well, he's a sorcerer, sire, they hardly ever stay contained these days," the guard said, laughing nervously again.

"You think this is FUNNY?" Uther roared.

The guard cringed away. "N-no, sire! Of course not! I could never think that it's funny, how could I think that it's funny?"

"You tell me!" Uther snapped. "Where is he now?"

"W-with the prince, sire," the guard whimpered. "He and several of the knights are guarding him. They won't let anyone near him. They've injured several guards, only a couple bruises and a broken bone or two, nothing to worry about."

Uther froze. "Arthur. He is with. My. Son?"

"Uh, yeah, yeah, they're in the prince's chambers, sire," the guard yammered. "He's fine, the sorcerer hasn't hurt him, he actually was hurting the sorcerer, slapping him over the head and calling him a complete idiot, and the sorcerer just called him a prat, everyone's fine, a couple of guards have bruises and a couple broken bones, but everyone's okay-"

"Has someone put you on repeat?" Uther interrupted.

"Huh? No, sire, no one has, no."

"Then shut up," Uther snarled, "and fetch a servant to help me dress. Go!" He shoved the guard, who stammered "Y-yes, sire!" and fled from the room.

-/~\-

Arthur had hardly believed it when Merlin had shown up at his door, completely unharmed and just as disrespectful as ever. After he had gotten through the shock that Merlin was there, he had turned around and nearly suffocated Merlin in a crushing hug.

"You idiot!" he had snapped as he strangled his manservant. "You had to get yourself arrested and worry us all, didn't you?"

"Arthur," Merlin had gasped. "Arthur, you're hugging me."

Arthur had realized that this was true and quickly released him. They had stood awkwardly for a moment before Arthur had said menacingly, "Tell anyone and I'll kill you."

"It's okay," Merlin had said, grinning. "It was more of a mangling than a hug, anyways. But I thought that you _didn't_ want me dead."

"Not at someone else's hands," Arthur had grinned devilishly.

Merlin had rolled his eyes. "Prat."

"Idiot."

"Clodpole."

They exchanged poor insults for a few more minutes before they moved onto more important things: getting Merlin to safety. Whilst they attempted to sneak him from the castle, however, Gwaine and Lancelot, who were just returning from a long visit to the tavern, stumbled upon them. Being rather drunk and not realizing that Arthur and Merlin were trying to stay hidden from the view of several nearby guards, Gwaine delightedly called out their names, and the four of them had to flee. They came upon Percival, who had been woken by the warning bells, and he helped them fend off the guards. They barricaded the hall that led to Arthur's chambers, keeping out all the guards.

Arthur turned to Merlin and slapped him over the head.

"Ow!" Merlin complained. "What was that for?"

"You complete idiot!" Arthur snapped. "You're more trouble than you're worth, you know."

"Oh, so it's my fault that the guards are after me, is it?" Merlin said. "You weren't so upset when I first escaped from the dungeons."

"That's because I was still shocked that you'd escaped!"

"So you hugged me because you were shocked?" Merlin said doubtfully.

"Wait wait wait wait wait!" Gwaine exclaimed, suddenly sober. "Arthur _hugged_ you? Princess actually _hugged_ you?"

Arthur gave Merlin a murderous look. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't hand you over to the guards right now."

(_Speaking of the guards, they had given up on trying to get through the barricade and were now witnessing the exchange with growing interest and confusion. _

"_Should one of us tell the King that the prisoner has escaped?" one of them murmured, still listening to the conversation. _

_Another snorted. "You can. It's your head."_

"_I vote that Terence tells him," one of them, George, murmured._

_Terence the guard gave him an appraised look. "No thank you!" _

"_I agree with George," another said. _

"_Yeah, me too." _

"_And me!" _

_Terence gulped. "But I don't want to tell Uther!" _

"_Get over it," another sneered, "and go tell him." _

_Terence threw them all dirty looks and stormed off. The others grinned to themselves. Nobody liked Terence._)

And so, just a recap:

Arthur gave Merlin a murderous look. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't hand you over to the guards right now."

Merlin grinned cheekily. "Because you said that you didn't want me to die at someone else's hands. And _you_ can't kill me because then Gwaine and Lancelot would kill you," he added hastily as Arthur advanced on him.

Arthur huffed. "Fine. But you just wait until Gwaine and Lancelot aren't around," he threatened.

"Yes of course, Arthur," Gwaine said, sliding over to stand next to Merlin. He put an arm around the warlock's shoulders and guided him away from the fuming prince. "So, Merlin. Tell me more about this...hug."

Arthur opened his mouth to protest, but then someone shouted his name from behind the barricade. He turned to look at who it was, and his stomach dropped as he saw his father approaching. He had been prepared for any number of guards, but he had not expected for his father to come in person. He took a deep breath, then he led Merlin and the three knights to greet Uther.

"Father," he said, bowing. "I'm sorry to have disturbed your rest."

Uther glared at him. "Hand over the sorcerer, Arthur."

"I'm sorry, but I cannot do that," Arthur told him. "Merlin is innocent of any crime and does not deserve to be burned at the stake."

"He practices magic!" Uther spat.

"Father, he nearly died to secure your spot on the throne," Arthur said calmly. "He killed Yvire, one of his own kind. How can you not see that he isn't evil after all of that?"

"I cannot explain the actions of a sorcerer," Uther said. "Their minds are twisted. They would do anything for power. As I said before, my former ward is proof-"

"_Will you stop using Morgana as an excuse for everything?"_ Arthur roared. "It was her choice to side with the sorcerers. She never liked your persecution of magic. She saw the injustice in your actions and was brave enough to stand against them. I can only wish that I was brave enough to speak up as well before now."

Uther gasped and took a step back. "No. No. _No!_ I will not stand for this! You hate magic! It is evil! I taught you too well for you to turn on me now!"

Arthur gazed at him sadly. "I'm sorry, Father, but magic is not evil. And I am not turning on you for believing that. We are bound to disagree on certain things, and-"

"BUT NOT THIS!" Uther screamed. "You were supposed to despise magic as much as I do and hold up the law to eradicate it! You are a traitor! First Morgana, and now you! I gave up so much for you! My wife, my people's love and trust, peace with magic! All so that you could be born! And this is how you repay me? You are a selfish, traitorous, ungrateful boy, and you will spend the rest of your life in the dungeons, only allowed out to witness the executions of your magical accomplices!"

Arthur stared at his father. He did not know how to respond. They stared into each others' eyes for a long moment before Arthur sighed and looked away.

"I don't mean to betray you," Arthur told him gently. "I just fear that your hate of magic has clouded your judgment. I can see that Merlin is innocent of committing any crimes against Camelot."

"No, no no no _no!_" Uther shouted, punching the barricade.

"Father!" Arthur exclaimed, and Uther quieted, his breathing heavy and his gaze full of rage. "Merlin may practice magic, but so far he has not used his abilities to harm the kingdom. I cannot let you kill an innocent man."

"You have let me kill those you believed to be innocent in the past!" Uther snarled. "Why should this _boy_ be any different?"

Arthur straightened, his gaze hardening slightly. "You have always taught me to follow my heart and do what I believe is right. That is what I am doing now."

Uther shook his head. "You're not supposed to side with magic against me! If I say it's the right thing then it's the right thing, and you can't argue with me. I'm the king!"

"Father, I'm not a child anymore," Arthur said. "I can think for myself, and I think that magic may not be as bad as you say."

"No, you don't," Uther argued, suddenly calmed. "You have been enchanted into believing these things. But you can be free, if you just hand over the sorcerer, and once he dies, the enchantment will be broken. You will hate magic again, just as you used to."

"Father, I am not enchanted!" Arthur snapped. His patience with his father was beginning to wear thin.

"That's what you said when you claimed to be in love with that serving girl," Uther reminded him.

"I wasn't enchanted, Father," Arthur said. "I still have feelings for Guinevere. I was never enchanted. You need to accept that these are my true beliefs and feelings. This is who I am now."

Uther stared in disbelief at his son, tears streaming from the corner of his eyes. With a chocking he sound, he collapsed on the ground, groaning and twitching violently.

"Father?" Arthur said cautiously. "Father?" His voice began to get more frantic. "Percival, take out the barricade," he ordered sharply. Percival began to pull apart the web of furniture and weapons, and soon Arthur was kneeling at his father's side.

"Someone fetch Gaius!" he shouted, and a guard took off in the direction of Gaius' chambers. "Merlin, do you know what's wrong with him?"

"He appears to be in a state of shock, but it's more than that," Merlin said, sitting beside the King. "I can't tell what it is. We'll have to wait for Gaius, Arthur."

"Isn't there anything you can do?" Arthur demanded. "Some sort of spell that will cure him?"

"I'm sorry, Arthur, but I don't know what's wrong with him, so there's no way I can help," he said quietly. "I promise that if I knew how to help, I would."

Arthur nodded mutely, staring down at Uther. The King was muttering something incoherent and groaning as though he was in pain. They heard footsteps, and Gaius appeared next to them.

"What happened?" he asked, examining the King.

"I don't know!" Arthur said. "We were arguing, and he suddenly collapsed."

"What were you arguing about?"

"My views on magic. I told him that I don't think that it is evil and that he shouldn't execute Merlin."

Gaius nodded slowly and sat back. "Well. I'm afraid that I know what ails him."

"What is it?" Arthur asked urgently. "Can you cure it?"

"I'm afraid not, sire," Gaius said sadly. "His mind is shattered and his heart is broken. Two things that cannot be mended. I'm sorry, sire. There's nothing that can be done."

Arthur blinked rapidly. "Are you sure? There's nothing, nothing at all?"

"I'm sure," Gaius said softly.

"Will he be alright, though?" Arthur asked. "He'll just be ill, he'll still be well enough to rule."

Gaius sighed. "These situations are very deadly, sire. Uther has been close to becoming ill like this for the past twenty-three years. When Morgana...you know, she damaged is mind and heart even more. Now that you have decided where you stand, he has finally reached his limit. He has...a very short time to live. I'm sorry."

Arthur shook his head. He couldn't take this in. It couldn't be happening. He bowed his head and openly wept.

_I had a hard time with this one, and I don't really like it. So, sorry it suckeths._

_I appologize once again for taking such a long time for updating. Summer school ends the 1st of July, and so after that I should be a lot faster about updating. Please review!_

_Owl Watcher_


	12. A Funeral, Of Sorts

_Hello to all of my wondrous readers! I want to thank you all once more for reading my story and reviewing it and adding to your faves and alerts and all that. Here's my next chapter, I hope you all enjoy it. I'm not particularly happy with it, and I might be changing a bit depending on how well your reaction is to it. So please, let me know how you like it! Following chapters may rely upon it. Thank you! _

The Wizards Duel

_Chapter 11: A Funeral, Of Sorts_

Uther Pendragon died two days after he fell ill. People from all over the kingdom traveled to Camelot for their king's funeral, filling every inn and tavern in and around Camelot, and the city had hardly enough room as everyone crowded inside its walls to remember him. Few people were saddened by this event, wearied by the persecution that had ensued from Uther's hate of magic, and many had come simply out of respect for the prince, who they knew must be hurting at the loss of his father. Others came for Arthur's coronation, which was to take place five days after the funeral(the prince had refused to be crowned before Uther was buried), and came to hear the King's son and most loyal knights give their farewells only because it was happening. There were a handful of people, though, who truly mourned the death of their King, for they had witnessed Uther's earlier years as their sovereign, when he had made fewer mistakes and thought more about his people than his desire to eradicate magic.

The people gathered outside the castle on the morning of the funeral. The sky was clear and the sun shone warmly as it rose farther and farther from the horizon. Birds sang cheerfully, and the wind was soft and gentle. It was as though nature itself was rejoicing in the departure of Uther's soul. The crowd outside the palace quieted down as Arthur and the knights stepped out onto the platform above them. Arthur's grief-stricken expression struck true sadness into their hearts, and they mourned for his loss because it brought him misery and because they loved their prince.

Arthur gazed down at the people below him, taking in all of their expressions and noticing every impatient person bouncing on their heels. He knew that the people weren't very affected by Uther's death, and Arthur could understand why. He had not been a very loving king. He had viewed his people more as property than as human beings, and most people had lost a friend or family member in the hunt for all magic-users. Arthur himself had never known anything but a cold and harsh Uther. Uther had held him few times as a baby. Growing up, he tried to pound mercilessness and bitterness into Arthur's heart by having him present at every execution and by showing him nothing but indifference. As an adult, Uther told his son to follow his heart, but he never let him do that. Arthur knew that if Uther had not been his father, he might not have felt much sadness, but that was not the case. Despite Uther's terrible parenting skills and cold nature, he had been Arthur's father. There had been few times when they actually felt like father and son instead of king and prince, but those times had occurred. Arthur loved him as any son loved his father, despite their many differences and disagreements.

"People of Camelot," Arthur began, "we have gathered today to remember the life of Uther Pendragon, King of Camelot. My father was a mighty ruler. He always managed to keep Camelot at peace with the neighboring kingdoms, and he kept the kingdom running smoothly and peaceably. Whenever trouble arose withing Albion's borders, he quickly made plans to stop it, and though his judgment was at times questionable, he always did what he thought was for the greater good of his people. He kept taxes at a fair amount, disregarding the time when the troll was controlling him." He heard a few stifled laughters and noticed many biting back smiles, and Arthur had to fight back one himself as he remembered the humorous incident. "He followed his heart with every decision he made. Like any other man, he made mistakes, but let us not remember him for those. Instead, let him be remembered for all of the good he has done in this world, for if you look past his wrongs, you will find much good. May the soul of Uther Pendragon rest in peace."

"The gods rest his soul," the people responded respectfully.

"My, Arthur, what a beautiful speech!"

The people gasped and parted as Morgana walked towards the balcony where Arthur and his knights stood. Arthur instinctively drew his sword and was about to call for the guards when Morgana continued speaking.

"This is quite a turnout," she said, glancing about at the large crowd of people. "I didn't expect there to be so many upon the occasion of our dear father's death. But do tell me, has he been buried yet? Because I do believe that I promised myself that when he died, I would dance on his grave."

"What are you doing here, Morgana?" Arthur spat venomously.

"I told you, I came to dance," Morgana smirked. Arthur began to motion for the guards, but his sister held up her hand. "Come, now, Arthur, there's no need for that. I have come because I hear that you are warming up to magic, and I wish to negotiate with you, not take over Camelot."

"And why would I want to negotiate with you?" Arthur growled at her.

Morgana's smirk widened. "Well, if you don't, I might have to rethink not taking over Camelot. I have a very large army of sorcerers at my disposal, ready to fight if you are unwilling to have a civilized discussion."

"In other words, you're threatening me to get what you want," the prince said.

"Oh, I wouldn't say _threatening_," Morgana said sweetly. "Just using an advantage of mine to persuade you. So what say you? Negotiations, or death."

Arthur hesitated. He didn't know how to respond to this. Should he play it safe and make negotiations, trusting that she really did have an army prepared to attack on her command, or should he just arrest her?

"I don't trust her, sire," Leon murmured to him. "She can't be telling the truth."

"But what if she is?" Arthur questioned. "What if she really does have an army ready to attack?"

"I don't think it's worth the risk, sire," Lancelot told him. "Why don't we just hear what she has to say? Besides, negotiations might be helpful."

Arthur bit his lip and glanced at Merlin, who was standing by Gaius behind the knights. Over the past few days, Merlin had become his anchor, advising him whenever he needed help and being there for him whenever the reality of his father's illness had time to set in. The warlock nodded his head towards Lancelot, signifying that he agreed with him, and Arthur trusted his judgment. Arthur took a deep breath.

"Very well, Morgana," he said slowly. "I will negotiate. We will meet in the Throne Room-"

"No," Morgana interrupted. "We will talk here. Now."

Arthur's eyes flashed furiously. "You have no authority here. I will decide where we will negotiate."

"You are not yet king, Arthur, so you have as little authority as the next," Morgana said sharply. "Besides, wouldn't you rather talk now and get it over with? And this way the people can bear witness to what I have to say."

They glared at each other for several minutes, neither willing to bend to the other's wishes. Finally, Elyan whispered to Arthur,

"Can't you negotiate out here?" he asked uncomfortably as Morgana's gaze swept over him.

Arthur threw him a betrayed look. "You would side with her?"

"No," Percival said before Elyan could reply. "But her eyes..."

"It's like she staring into my mind," Gwaine said, shuddering. "It's disconcerting."

Arthur sighed. "Fine. We will talk now," he added to Morgana.

The witch smirked victoriously. "Good. For out first line of discussion: When you become king, I want the act of performing magic to be made legal once more. If you agree to this, I will turn myself in."

Arthur gave her a suspicious look as the people murmured in surprise. "What's the catch?"

"I want a fair trial, and I refuse to stay in one of those musty dungeons, chained to the wall like an animal," Morgana said. "Also, I want you to publicly read off the names of every man, woman, and child executed by your father and declare them to be wrongly accused of being evil and apologize to their friends and family. That will replace the honorable burial that they should have been given. Make persecution of magic users illegal, punishing those who harass sorcerers and sorceresses so that even when we are free we do not have to fear being attacked."

These were her terms? Arthur could have laughed for joy. These were simple and good, not to mention a few things that Arthur had already planned on doing when he became king.

"Is that all?" he asked.

"Just one more thing," Morgana said. "I want you to pardon all renowned sorcerer outlaws, such as Alvarr and his band of renegades. They were fighting for a land where they could be themselves, that is all. I have spoken with them all, and they have agreed to cease causing trouble once magic has been introduced back into the land. That is all. Agree and I shall not attack Camelot. Disagree and I will call my army."

"I understand," Arthur said. "I will have an answer for you in five days, once I am king. Until then, guards. Please escort the Lady Morgana to her chambers. She is to be given food and water. She will be treated as a guest, not a prisoner."

Morgana glared up at him as four guards came up around her. "I can find my own way."

"I know, but I do not trust you, Morgana," Arthur replied. "So long as you are within Camelot's walls, you shall be under constant watch but allowed your usual freedoms. Is that understood?"

Morgana looked unhappy with this, but she just glared and nodded. Arthur realized that she must really want peace, or maybe she was playing at something to get into the palace. Either way, she was under his control at the moment, and she could not make a move without him knowing. The people grumbled amongst themselves as Morgana was led away, uneasy by her presence inside the city, but Arthur paid them no mind. He was uncomfortable himself, but if she was truly willing to make peace, then he was not going to start an unnecessary war before the crown was even his. Arthur didn't know if he had made the right decision to place Morgana under house arrest, and he wanted very badly to throw her in the dungeons where she belonged. But that would not help with the peace talks. So Arthur left the matter alone in his mind and turned to Morgana's terms. He already knew what he was going to say. He had made the decision to make magic legal when he was made king when he had accepted Merlin for what he was, only banning the use of dark magic. Publicly honoring the innocents executed was a fair idea that Arthur would gladly carry out. He wasn't sure how well he would be able to enforce the prohibition of the persecution of sorcerers. It wasn't like he could arrest someone for spitting at a sorcerer, but if a sorcerer was assaulted for simply using magic, then they would be arrested and punished. As for clearing the names of Alvarr and his renegades and people like them...This he was hesitant to do. He only had Morgana's word that they would not cause trouble. But perhaps he could speak with them all himself and find a way to ensure their cooperation in exchange for their freedom.

Arthur, having decided all of this in a few short seconds' time, gestured for his knights, Gaius, and Merlin to follow him into the castle. Merlin walked beside him, nearly tripping as he half-ran to keep up with the prince's quick pace.

"Arthur," he said somewhat hesitantly. "With your permission, I would like to speak with Morgana."

Arthur blinked in surprise. "For what purpose?"

"I want to make sure she is being entirely truthful," Merlin replied. "And be assured that she isn't planning anything."

"Of course, then," Arthur said. "But be careful. She may be cooperating now, but you never know what might happen if you get her angry."

Merlin grinned. "I'm sure I could handle her. But I'll be cautious nonetheless."

He walked away, and Arthur watched him go. He could hardly believe that he had been talking to Merlin. His dear friend had seemed to transform after his secret came out. He was still the disrespectful idiot that he had been before, but now he had a different side to him where he could be completely serious and ready to take on heavy responsibilities. Arthur trusted this strange new Merlin, who he had caught glimpses of when he had given his few wise speeches, but sometimes it was hard to believe that he was the same person Arthur had known for the past four years. This new side seemed to bring them closer, though, as Merlin gave him more and more sound advice, and Arthur found himself beginning to somewhat rely on him. He had always valued Merlin's opinion, but now he wanted to know it on every subject that rose to face him.

Arthur pushed aside his thoughts and led his knights to the council room, where he would share with them his thoughts on Morgana's propositions.

_There you go. Please review and share your thoughts! _

_OW _


	13. An Unusual Conversation

_Please don't kill me! I know it's been forever since I've last updated, and I am sooooo sorry! _

_I realized something while writing this: I killed Uther. And then Uther died in Season 4. But neither time did I feel a sense of satisfaction. In fact, I was greatly saddened. Well, now I know I'll never actually be able to be a real murderer. Oh my gosh! I killed Uther! I AM a murderer! How could I be so evil? Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry, Uther! I'm just as evil as he is! Oh my gosh!_

_How do you turn yourself in for virtual murder? Is that even possible? Oh my gosh. Flame me all you want this chapter. Lord knows I deserve it!_

The Wizards Duel

_Chapter 12: An Unusual Conversation_

Merlin approached the doors to Morgana's chambers, running through what he would say in his mind. He was a little surprised to find that there were only two guards stationed at her door, but he wondered if that wasn't for the best: Morgana had willingly placed herself under Arthur's power, and he thought that perhaps this was Arthur's way of trying to establish a slight understanding of trust.

The guards halted Merlin as he approached. "What is your business with the Lady Morgana?" one demanded.

"I wish to speak with her," Merlin replied.

"What topic do you wish to discuss with her, _sorcerer_?" the other sneered suspiciously, and Merlin sighed inwardly. Though Arthur had come to trust Merlin quickly after his newly revealed magic surfaced, the people of Camelot were very hesitant to welcome someone whom they were taught to fear and despise for years, some for most of their lives. No doubt these guards suspected that Merlin was in league with Morgana, and the two would be concocting a plot under their noses if they allowed him entry.

"Look," Merlin said, "I just want to talk to her, make sure she isn't hiding anything. If you have a problem with this, you can take it to Arthur, who has given me permission to speak with her."

The guards hesitated. They didn't trust Merlin, but they didn't want to go against their future king's orders. At last they stepped aside, and Merlin entered Morgana's room.

Morgana stood from where she sat on her bed as the doors closed. Her expression was curious at first, then it molded into rage and hatred when she saw who it was.

"You!" she snarled. "What do you want? Come to finish what you started three years ago?"

Merlin raised his chin and gazed at her steadily. "I'm not here to kill you, Morgana. I just want to talk."

"Our days of talking are long gone, Merlin, you should know that by now." She glared at him. "Why are you here, truly?"

"I want to ensure that your intentions toward the peace treaty are entirely pure, and that you are not hiding some ridiculous plot to take over behind the scenes while you put on the show of the innocent diplomat," Merlin said, deciding to be outright and not provoke her with obvious lies.

"Now what on earth gives you the idea that I would do anything of that sorts?" Morgana inquired sweetly.

"Well, seeing as how you've done it before, my suspicions can not be without reason, can they?" Merlin pointed out.

Morgana snorted contemptuously and sat back down on the bed. "I suppose not. But can you blame me?"

"For betraying everyone who ever loved and cared for you?" Merlin said. "Yes, I think I can?"

"Well, I learned from the best," Morgana spat, and Merlin winced. He knew she was referencing to that fateful day when he had poisoned her to save Camelot, not just the unjust upbringing of Uther.

"Morgana, you can not begin to know how much I regret that day, but you gave me no choice," Merlin said quietly. "Now I don't want to get into that, since I know that you will never be able to forgive me," Merlin pushed on as Morgana began to protest angrily. "Right now I want to focus on why you are here, and what you hope to gain through this treaty with Arthur."

Morgana rolled her eyes and turned her back on him. "And what gives you the idea that I will talk to you? That you'll be able to force any information out of me? You are the last person in the world with whom I would willingly talk to in a civil manner."

"I'm not trying to force anything from you, Morgana," Merlin snapped. "I just want you to cooperate for the sake of this treaty. If you truly want peace, then you will talk to me."

"I don't really see how this works," Morgana said. "Why do you want to talk? I've told you all I came to tell you: that I'm here to make peace with Arthur, and I won't say any more to a mere serving boy. Especially one that's tried to kill me."

"In case you don't remember, I poisoned you because you were plotting with Morgause to take over Camelot and kill the king," Merlin reminded her. "So stop holding that against me as if I was the only one in the wrong that day."

"But you didn't have to poison me!" Morgana shouted. "You could have talked to me, you could have asked me why I was doing it! But instead you tried to murder me without a second thought, as though I meant no more to you than a fallen leaf."

"I did care for you, Morgana," Merlin said, "and I still do! It took everything in me to give you that poison, and it has haunted me for these past years so that I can hardly ever sleep well at night. I wish I could have talked reason into you, but do you truly believe that that would have worked?"

"Yes!" Morgana cried, her voice suddenly shrill as though she were on the verge of tears. Merlin looked at her in surprise, and Morgana looked away, sniffling and wiping at her eyes. "Well, I suppose we'll never know now, will we?"

Merlin sighed and gazed at the floor. "Why are you here, Morgana? Why do you want peace?"

Morgana did not reply immediately. She continued to stare at the wall, her back to Merlin and her shoulders shuddering as though she were crying noiselessly. Finally, she turned to face him again.

"When Morgause died," she said, "I was all alone. I had no one. Life seemed meaningless. Revenge no longer had a place in my heart. All of my actions over the past three years have seemed so shallow, so pointless, so selfish. Now my father is dead, my brother despises me, and every friend I once had either fears or hates me. I don't just want peace with Camelot, Merlin. I want some peace with myself, to compensate for everything that I've done. And you can doubt me all you want, but I believe that my intentions are pure. Now get out."

"Morgana..." Merlin began.

"I said get out, Merlin!" she shouted.

Merlin looked at the floor, then he turned around and made to leave the room. Before opening the door he turned around. "We don't hate you, Morgana. We just want you back. We miss the kind and caring person you were before...We miss the old you. And I'm sorry that my actions caused you to change, but I really wish more than anything that it really is not too late."

"You take responsibility for what I've become?"

Morgana's voice stopped him once more from leaving the room. Merlin looked back again.

"I admit that if I hadn't poisoned you, you may never have been lost to us," he said. "Part of the responsibility also falls on Morgause for making you think that we would not accept you, but the fault lies mostly on my shoulders. I should have made you feel more accepted. I knew of your secret, but I pretended not to when you needed me most."

"I never needed you," Morgana objected angrily.

"Yes, you did," Merlin said. "You needed to feel as though someone cared about you and loved you even though you possessed abilities that you had been taught to fear for as long as you had been alive. I am sorry I denied you that. It is because of this that you went to Morgause for help, and so it is my fault that you turned away from those who loved you here in Camelot."

Morgana blinked in surprise. "You-you loved me? Even after you found out about my magic?"

Merlin smiled at her and took a few steps closer to her. "Of course, Morgana. You were like a sister to me. I have never stopped caring about you and hoping that you would one day come back to us. I wish that-"

The door suddenly opened, and one of the guards stepped in.

"Excuse me, but that is all the time we will allow you to speak," he said.

Merlin nodded. "Of course." He turned back to Morgana. "I'll come again later if you would like me to."  
>Morgana nodded fervently. "Please do."<p>

Merlin smiled. "I will see you later then."

"Goodbye," Morgana said, and Merlin left. He did not see her look after him, her eyes sad and longing.

_Sorry it's so short! I promise that the next will be longer! Any comments, suggestions, or flames are welcome. Encouragement is also smiled upon :) God bless and have a great day, evening, morning, or afternoon, or whatever time of day it is when you read this. _

_Owl Watcher_


	14. Two Battles of the Mind

_I know that this chapter is long overdue, and I'm very sorry that it is so small. I actually wrote this a while back, but then I began to wonder if this was the right direction to go. However, I have finally got it figured out, and I promise very sincerely that I will have the next one up very soon. I'd better stop now. Don't want the Author's Note to be longer than the actual story._

_OW_

The Wizards Duel

_Chapter 13: Two Battles of the Mind_

Morgana sat on her bed after Merlin left, pondering the unusual exchange. She had not been expecting for their conversation to have taken such a strange turn. She still hated Merlin profusely, for forgiveness was not something that came easily to her, but she felt a strange longing to be in his company again. Merlin had been like a brother to her before he had tried to kill her, and now that she had been reminded of those feelings, it would be difficult to forget them again. Part of her cursed herself for not killing him when she had the chance. He had been just inches away from her! She could have taken his life and been rid of him once and for all. But another part of her rejoiced in having said what she said and hoped that she could go back to the life she had once led.

The truth was, she really did want peace. Even when she had been plotting with Morgause, there was many times when she had hesitated to pull through with their plans. After all, she had only wanted vengeance on Uther, not all of Camelot. But Morgause was so good at turning Morgana's mind toward dark thoughts, telling her that all of her friends would kill her the moment they found out about her gifts. And after Merlin's shattering betrayal, she had truly begun to believe her. She thought that he really did despise her, and that he thought she was a monster. But he said he did it for Camelot, that everyone would have died if he hadn't stopped her. And wasn't he right? Wouldn't Camelot have fallen? She truly had needed stopping. Perhaps Merlin had been right to poison her.

_No!_ the voice in her head hissed. _He betrayed you! He deserves to die!_

He was only protecting his friends, though.

_You thought _you_ were his friend._

She was! She _is_! He cared about her, he said so!

_Do you really think you can trust him? After all, he betrayed you once. Who's to say that he wouldn't do it again?_

Morgana shook her head. No. He wouldn't. He was trying to fix things. He was sorry for poisoning her.

_He's only saying that to get close to you. Then, once he's done with you, he'll throw you away, just like he did before! You can't trust him!_

Morgana covered her face with her hands and cried.

-/~\-

Arthur tapped his thumb on the hilt of his sword, bored out of his mind. He had just gotten out of a meeting with the dressers, who were busy making a hassle about his coronation robes. Apparently, the last time they had made clothes for a coronation was for when Arthur's mother was to be crowned queen, and they had not done the dress in the proper style to please Uther. And since Arthur was Uther's son, they were terrified that if he was not pleased he would have them whipped. Honestly, Arthur couldn't care less about what his coronation robes looked like so long as they were suitable for the occasion, which was why he had let Gwen volunteer to make them. She knew what he would like and what was suitable so there wouldn't have to be any trouble, but since she was still ill from her chest infection (She wasn't that ill. Arthur and Elyan both just went crazy at every little cough and wouldn't allow her to work for several weeks after Gaius had given the all-clear), Arthur would not put the pressure of making his robes on her shoulders. Thus he had spent, no, wasted, two hours trying to make it clear to the tailors that the robes were suitable and that he was not going to punish them if he did not absolutely adore them.

Four days had passed since Uther's funeral and Morgana's sudden appearance in Camelot. Arthur's knights were hesitant about agreeing to all of Morgana's terms, especially the ones concerning the sorcerer outlaws, but they did not argue with Arthur's decision, and as for Merlin, he shared the knights' concerns but was more enthusiastic about the plan than anyone else. Merlin also began to show a stronger sense of trust towards Morgana after his conversation with her, though he did not share exactly what had happened that had caused such a change in demeanor. All he said was that she was coming back to them, and he sounded so hopeful and sincere, like he really believed it, that Arthur was beginning to be convinced himself. He only hoped that Morgana was truly hoping for peace and that she would not turn on them the moment she knew that her future in Camelot was secure.

_Review? Pretty please! It'll make me more motivated to update faster! I'll give you little chocolate hearts filled with the substance of your choosing if you do :D_


	15. TheTruth,theWholeTruth,andNothingBut

_I would like to thank all of my most committed reviewers: mrsspecialk, hazelbunny, FireChildSlytherin5, Hiding in the Shadows, noireallydontcare, Blink XXVII, bookaddict27, ruby890, Nats116, catapilla1, and Dirty Little Butterfly. I'd also like to thank my most most committed reviewers: Gwenneth, Cassy27, and Cissa the Bookworm, who all reviewed from the very beginning and have stuck with me. I'd also like to thank my first ever reviewer of this story, PhoenixFlyer. Thanks to all others who reviewed, for there were many, many of you. I really appreciate all of the kind comments that you have made and even the criticism, for with that I can go back and make improvements. So thank you, one and all!_

_OW_

The Wizards Duel

_Chapter 14: The Truth, the Whole Truth, and Nothing but the Truth_

Merlin knocked on the door, getting more and more desperate with each pound. "Morgana! Morgana, please let me in. You can't ignore me forever."

"Try me!" Morgana's muffled shout came through the closed door.

Merlin smiled for a moment. At least she had spoken. This was the first time in four days that she had uttered a word to him. He couldn't blame her, though. It was better than her screaming the castle down on top of everyone or summoning the dead to slaughter him. He would take the silent treatment over that any day.

Five days ago, which was almost two weeks since Morgana's arrival in Camelot, Merlin had decided to tell her about his magic. It was becoming difficult to keep from her since everyone else in Camelot knew about it, and Merlin thought it would be best that she heard it from him and not someone else. At first she had just stared at him, then she had begun to laugh. Arthur and Gwen had been present, and when she saw that they were all staring at her with the same serious expression, her laughter faltered and her face began to flush bright red. The shouting that ensued from this situation lasted several minutes, most of it a jumbled mess that Merlin could barely understand. She had then proceeded to take Merlin by his ear and shove him from her room. Arthur and Gwen tried to calm her down, but it was to no avail. Her shouts could still be heard from far off long after they had left. Merlin tried to talk to her every day and explain himself, but she would have none of it.

Morgana was still being held captive in her chambers. No guards were stationed, for Merlin had placed a spell on her that made it so that she could not leave the room unless he was holding her hand. Arthur had been crowned King of Camelot, had made Merlin Court Sorcerer, and had agreed to all of Morgana's terms of peace, and the honoring of the executed innocents had already been taken out. Alvarr and all other outlaws had been pardoned (Merlin wanted to find Alvarr and learn more about the Sorcerer's Academy), and magic was made legal once more. Only dark magic was banned, and first time offenders would be imprisoned for five days, and second offenders would be imprisoned until they had proven they wouldn't do it again, imprisoned for life, or executed depending on the level of offense. Morgana's trial still had yet to be taken, and it was scheduled to take place in two days. Merlin hoped that Morgana would let him speak to her by then.

Merlin pounded on the door again, leaning against it. "Morgana, please let me explain! I understand that you hate me, but please, just let me talk to you."

There was silence for a moment, then the door was wrenched open. Merlin nearly fell over as it was pulled away, though he regained his balance quickly. He looked at Morgana, who was glaring at him through narrowed eyes. He shifted awkwardly, unsure of what to do.

"Uh, can I come it?" he asked uncertainly.

Morgana rolled her eyes and stepped aside to let him enter. Merlin stepped inside, and she closed the door behind him. Merlin walked to the center of the room before turning to face her.

"Thank you for let-" he began, then _slap!_ Morgana struck his face, nearly causing him to fall over in surprise. He stared at her in shock for a moment as she looked at him with those fuming green eyes, then he recovered himself.

"I deserved that," he said.

"Yes, you did," Morgana replied coldly. "Would you like another?"

"What? No!" Merlin said quickly as she raised her hand, and she lowered it.

Morgana sat on her bed so that her back was to him. "Make it quick and get out."

Merlin sighed and took a deep breath. "Alright. I'm sorry I never told you. And I know that you won't forgive me, and I completely understand that. I abandoned you when you needed me most, and nothing I could ever say will make that any less horrible."

Morgana took a shuddering breath. "Why _didn't_ you tell me?"

Merlin hesitated, then he moved to sit next to her on the bed. Morgana shifted slightly so that there was a large space between them.

"I was afraid," he admitted. "I thought you might be scared of me, or angry. I valued your friendship so much, and I couldn't bear the thought of losing you. I was stupid."  
>"Yes, you were," Morgana snorted. "How could you think that telling me that you were like me would drive me away? I felt so alone, and you left me that way! How could you do that to me?"<p>

"I don't know," Merlin whispered. "If I could go back and change everything I did, believe me, I would. I've made so many mistakes in my life, but not telling you about my magic is by far my worst one. I wish I could correct it."

He looked over at Morgana, and she stared back. She had a sad smile on her face so slight that it was hardly noticeable, and Merlin felt a glimmer of hope rise in his chest. Then her face went cloudy, and she stood up sharply.

"Wishing isn't going to change the past," she snapped. "You can't go back, and so we will always hate each other for what we have and haven't done."

Merlin grabbed her hand as she tried to walk away, and Morgana turned around, an angry expression on her face.

"I don't hate you, Morgana!" he exclaimed, standing. "Why can't you see that? I've never wanted to hurt you, and I hope that I will never again have to do so. I want us to be friends again, but if you can't do that, then I'll just have to accept that." Merlin touched her face with his fingertips. "But I want you to know that I will never stop fighting for you. Even if you turn on us again, I will never stop hoping that you will come back."

Morgana looked up at him, sadness shimmering in her eyes, all traces of hate and anger gone. Merlin could feel her pulse in her wrist, her heartbeat quickening as she continued to stare into his eyes. Their faces were so close, and the room had gone completely quiet. He could hear his own rapid heartbeat thrumming almost painfully in his chest. The tips of their noses touched, and Morgana turned her head away.

"You should go," she said sharply. Her voice was little more than a whisper.

Merlin let go of her hand and took a step back. His face burned with embarrassment, and he ran a hand through his hair awkwardly.

"Uh, right," he said. "I'll just, let myself out then, shall I?"

Morgana only continued to stare at the ground, so after a moment's silence, Merlin left the room. He leaned his back against the door after closing it behind him, and he sighed and placed his hands over his eyes. He had no idea what had come over him, and now Morgana probably hated him more than ever. How had he thought that she would forgive him with just his pathetic apology?

Merlin let out a moan of frustration, kicked at the air, then left to return to his room.

-/~\-

Morgana sat heavily upon her bed. Her heart was beating faster than ever, and she cursed herself for it. How was this happening? How had she allowed herself to develop these feelings? She had trained herself to feel nothing but hate for Merlin, but now all of the walls she had built against him were crashing down. Was he doing this on purpose to get her guard down? Or was he, too, beginning to feel things for her that went past the boundaries of friendship?

She groaned and flopped onto her back, her hands in her hair. They had been so close. Her hand felt warm and soft from when he had held it, and Morgana found herself longing for the feel of his hand on hers. She mentally slapped herself and sat up, huffing in frustration.

"Pull yourself together, Morgana," she scolded herself. "He sees you as a sister, nothing more. That's what he said before, isn't it? So stop your daydreaming and start thinking about your trial."

Of course, Morgana was too stubborn to listen to even her own orders, and her thoughts always seemed to find their way back to Merlin.

-/~\-

"Gentlemen of the court, we are gathered here today to try by the laws of Camelot the Lady Morgana Pendragon, renowned sorceress," Arthur announced. "The charges are as follows: attacks on Camelot with intent of overthrowing; the practice of dark magic; the murder of many innocent citizens of Camelot; the attempted murder of the late King Uther Pendragon, myself, and the soon to be queen Guinevere; and the alliance with King Cenred to break the peace treaty between our kingdoms." He looked up from the parchment he was reading from. "Did I miss anything?"

No one spoke up, and Arthur rolled up the parchment. "Let us begin."

"Your Majesty," a bearded knight said, standing, "it is in my opinion that the witch should be sentenced to death for her crimes. The attempted murder of yourself and your late father, the gods rest his soul, and the murder of all those other people would be enough to end the life of any other criminal. I do not see why this woman should be rewarded with any special treatment."

"I agree that she should not be rewarded for her actions, Sir Robert," Arthur responded, "and she shall not be. However, we must also remember that Lady Morgana has come to us in hopes of making peace with Camelot. In the past, kings we have been at war with have made many of these same offenses before we captured them and tried them in our court. More often than not, they were put under house arrest until their kingdom had paid a ransom. Morgana is something of a queen among sorcerers and sorceresses as a High Priestess of the Old Religion, and so she should be treated as such."

One of the councilmen snorted. "So, what? We'll send out a ransom to our oh so large magical population and hold her until we receive it? I don't think the Druids will be willing to pay for such a destructive being to be released, and we don't have enough other sorcerers in Camelot to scrape together the kind of ransom we would normally charge for a king. I agree with Sir Robert. Execution is what her crimes call for, therefore that is what she should receive."

"All in favor of execution?" Sir Robert asked, and the majority raised their hands.

"Now hold on just a minute," Geoffrey protested before Arthur could. "The Lady Morgana should at least be allowed to defend herself before any final judgment is made." He turned to Arthur for support. "Is that not in the rules of the lawful trial? That the accused be allowed to make their case?"

Arthur nodded. "Geoffrey is indeed correct. The Lady Morgana must be allowed to speak."

Sir Robert looked unhappy about this, but he merely nodded and sat down.

Everyone turned to face Morgana, who was seated in chains before the council, two guards flanking her. She shifted uncomfortably as all eyes turned to her, and she slowly rose to her feet. The guards raised their spears and pointed them at her, ready to take action should she make any wrong moves. She glanced nervously at them before turning her attention to the council.

"My lords," she said strongly. "I do not deny having done what you say I have done. I could not even if I wanted to. I regret my past actions and wish that I could undo everything. However, I cannot change the past, no matter how much I may want to. Therefore I must place myself at your mercy and accept whatever judgment you find fair. If you should decide to let me live, I will strive hard to make amends for what I have done, and if you should not, I will not fight you."

She sat down, her chains clinking together, and she stared at the ground. There was a silence as the council digested her words, thoughtful expressions on many of their faces. Sir Robert cleared his throat.

"I, for one, stick by my original opinion," he said. "As she said, she cannot change the past. She is still a criminal, and she must face the punishment that she deserves."

"This is true," Arthur allowed, gritting his teeth. Sir Robert's constant yapping was beginning to get on his nerves. "But we should allow room for mercy, should we not? After all, the Lady Morgana has expressed guilt for her actions, and if she wishes to make amends, we should allow her that chance."

Sir Robert's eyebrows twitched. "You are quick to forgive her, Your Majesty. Have you forgotten what she has done to this kingdom, to you?"

"Of course not," Arthur replied. "I just believe that we should be forgiving. I think that the Lady Morgana is trying to change, and I want to give her an opportunity to prove this. I can't do that if she is dead."

"Are you sure that is all, my lord?" Sir Robert inquired suspiciously.

Arthur's face began to go red. "What are you implying, Sir Robert?"

"Nothing, Your Majesty," Sir Robert said hastily. "It's just that...I want to be sure that your judgment is not impaired at all. She is, after all, your half sister."  
>"Are you saying that I am incapable of judging the Lady Morgana fairly because of our blood connection?" Arthur demanded.<p>

"No, my lord!"

"Are you sure? Because that is what it sounds like you are saying," Arthur said, furious. "I will have you know that I am completely able to try her fairly. She has been far from a sister to me for these past two or more years. I remember every single thing that she has done to place myself and this kingdom in danger. You may think that it has been easy for me to forgive her, but it has not. Therefore I will thank you to keep your mouth shut."

He turned back to the rest of the council and was about to continue.

"Your father would never have allowed such a criminal to go free, no matter who they were."

Arthur turned on him. "You will hold your tongue, or I will ask you to leave this trial."

"I just want to know why you're so eager to trust her, sire," Sir Robert said, looking just as angry.

"I don't trust her," Arthur snapped. "But Merlin does, and I trust him."

"Oh, so we're going off the word of a sorcerer now?" Sir Roger snorted. "How can you be sure they haven't formed an alliance to take down Camelot together? Besides, where is Merlin? I don't see him here today at the trial. It seems you don't trust him as much as you claim to."

"Be QUIET!" Arthur roared, standing and putting his hand on the hilt of his sword. Sir Roger paled, and he watched his king with fear shining in his eyes.

"You have insulted me enough this day," Arthur said, deadly calm. "Might I remind you that I will be the one to make the final decision in the matter of the Lady Morgana's fate, and you are only here to offer advice and wisdom on the subject. If you cannot keep your opinion on other matters to yourself, then you must leave."

Sir Robert glared at him and bowed his head coldly. "As you wish, sire."

Arthur turned to the rest of the council. "Do any of you have anything opinions that you wish to share?"

There was an awkward silence, and then Gaius rose to his feet.

"Sir Robert does have a point about the Lady Morgana," he said slowly. "She is a criminal, therefore she should be treated as such. However," he continued as Arthur gave him an icy look, "I also agree that her expression of guilt and her wish to change should allow some clemency."  
>"Gaius is right," Geoffrey agreed. "The Lady Morgana deserves to be punished, but execution would be too harsh. She should have a chance to make amends."<p>

Most of the council nodded their agreement, and Sir Robert glowered angrily at the table. Arthur smiled.

"Very good," he said, and he turned to Morgana. "As your punishment, you will be stripped of your title as lady, and you will be kept under house arrest until you have proven yourself worthy of the people's trust. You will be under constant watch, and you cannot move in or around the castle without being accompanied by a knight, a guard, myself, or a member of the court. This is all for now. I may add more punishment after giving it more thought. Is this understood?"

Morgana nodded, a joyful smile lighting her face. "Yes, my lord. Thank you, you will not regret it."

"I'm counting on it," Arthur said. "Guards, escort Morgana to her chambers. The council is dismissed."

As everyone cleared out, he saw Sir Robert cast a stormy look in his direction. He sat down heavily on his thrown when the last person had left and buried his hands in his head. Being king was going to be much harder than he had anticipated. He was going to make many enemies, he realized, even in his own court. He was going to have to be prepared to deal with people like Sir Robert who viewed mercy as weakness without causing a civil war. And how on earth was he going to get the people to stop their hatred of magic?


End file.
